In the 27th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Rajasthan Royals (RR) defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) by three wickets at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.
RR won the toss and opted to field first. The bowlers showcased some top-quality effort as they restricted the opponents to a below-par score after conceding too many runs at the start. From the 4th to 14th over, RR scalped five wickets and just gave 49 runs, for which major credit goes to Avesh Khan, Keshav Maharaj, and others.
Chasing 148, the Rajasthan-based side began its inning with a bang as it didnt lose a single wicket in the powerplay. Yashasvi Jaiswal (39) and Tanush Kotian (24) were quite effective at the start, as they put 56 runs together. Even Sanju Samson (18) and Riyan Parag (23) had a decent run with their willow. With 33 required in 16 balls, the two Caribbean batters, Shimron Hetmyer (27) and Rovman Powell (11), hammered 18 runs in four balls. Moreover, in the last over, Hetmyer faced some serious yorkers but he held his nerves and smacked two sixes to take RR over the winning line.
After a top start in the first three overs in the powerplay, PBKS suffered a collapse. The likes of Atharva Taide (15), Jonny Bairstow (15), and Prabhsimran Singh (10) all struggled to find rhythm in their innings. Jitesh Sharma (29) also got a few runs but at a decent strike rate. It was Liam Livingstone‘s (21) and Ashutosh Sharma’s (31) quick-powered knock that took PBKS to 147/8 in 20 overs.
In the first inning with the ball, the away team’s bowlers did an exceptional job of restricting PBKS to a below-par score. The likes of Trent Boult, Kuldeep Sen, and Yuzvendra Chahal got one wicket each, and with them, two wickets each were also scalped by Avesh Khan and Keshav Maharaj.
For PBKS with the ball, two wickets each were grabbed by Kagiso Rabada and Sam Curran, while one each was plucked by Arshdeep Singh, Liam Livingstone, and Harshal Patel.
Shimron Hetmyer was adjudged Player of the Match for his electrifying batting performance. Following this win, RR have now 10 points and are positioned first in the points tally.
Scorecard:
Punjab Kings: 147/8, Overs 20, Ashutosh Sharma 31, Keshav Maharaj 2/23
Rajasthan Royals: 152/7, Overs 19.5, Yashasvi Jaiswal 39, Kagiso Rabada 2/18