Cricket

Disputed penalty gives Manchester United draw at Bournemouth as CL qualification slips further away

Danijones9 months ago03 mins

Manchester United needed two penalty decisions to salvage a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth in the English Premier League on Saturday, although the point did little to boost its chances of Champions League soccer next season. United was largely outplayed and trailed 2-1 when a shot by Kobbie Mainoo from outside the area was deflected onto the arm of Adam Smith. Referee Tony Harrington pointed to the spot even though the ball was traveling away from the goal and the Bournemouth player had little time to react. Bruno Fernandes converted the 65th-minute penalty for his second goal of the game to secure a point for United, but it was another unconvincing performance from Erik ten Hag’s side that is unlikely to quell speculation about the manager’s future. Harrington initially awarded Bournemouth an injury-time penalty when Ryan Christie collided with United defender Willy Kambwala as he was running into the box, but a VAR review ruled the foul happened just outside the area. United still has a slim chance of securing Champions League qualification but couldn’t take full advantage of fifth-placed Tottenham’s loss at Newcastle earlier. United is 10 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and Tottenham with six rounds to go. The Champions League’s new format next season means five teams from the Premier League could qualify for the competition. Dominic Solanke gave Bournemouth the lead after shrugging off Kambwala to break into the area and then slotting a low shot past André Onana. Fernandes equalized by volleying in his second effort from close range but it took only Bournemouth five more minutes to restore its lead as Justin Kluivert was allowed to waltz into the United area unchallenged and beat Onana at his near post. Milos Kerkez had a great chance to make it 3-1 before halftime but headed against the crossbar, and United was then on the right side of the two penalty decisions in the second half. Bournemouth were in 12th place, safe from relegation but seemingly with little chance of earning European qualification. Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: Apr 14, 2024

KL Rahul Manages To Stump Rishabh Pant Despite Getting Hit By DC Skipper’s Bat. Watch

Danijones9 months ago04 mins

Friday turned out to be a memorable day for Delhi Capitals as Rishabh Pant and Co. defeated Lucknow Super Giants and registered their second win of IPL 2024. Opting to bat first, LSG posted 167/7 in 20 overs with Ayush Badoni playing an unbeaten knock of 55 runs. Later, DC chased down the target in 18.1 overs with six wickets in hand. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his figures of 3/20 in four overs. Apart from Kuldeep Yadav, the strong partnership between skipper Pant (41) and debutant Jake Frazer-McGurk (55) also turned out to be really fruitful for DC. However, the bizarre dismissal of Pant caught everyone’s attention. The incident took place in the third delivery of the 16th over, which was bowled by spinner Ravi Bishnoi. Pant tried to play a big hit and in the process, he stepped out of the crease. The ball missed the bat and went straight to wicketkeeper KL Rahul. pic.twitter.com/y5edZyXvIq — Cricket Videos (@cricketvid123) April 12, 2024 As Pant missed the shot, the bat also slipped off his hands and hit Rahul behind the stumps. However, the LSG skipper did not lose his focus and timely stumped Pant. Despite the losing the wicket of Pant, DC comfortably chased down the target as the duo of Tristan Stubbs (15*) and Shai Hope (11*) took DC across the line. “Little relief, we wanted a win badly. I was talking to the boys saying we need to think like champions, we need to keep fighting hard. (On bowling) We have phases where we are not up to the mark, some individuals have to take responsibility for that. However, we stick together as a group. Some things you can control, some things we can’t,” said Pant after the victory. “I think we are getting closer to the right XI, but we’ve had so many injuries in this group. However, you can’t keep complaining about that. (On Fraser-McGurk) Hopefully, we’ve found our new number 3, haven’t thought too much about it. Hope he can continue,” he added. DC will now be squaring off against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on April 17. On the other hand, LSG will be taking on Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata on Sunday. Topics mentioned in this article

‘It’s easier to catch…’: Sanju Samson’s stern message to Rajasthan Royals pacers | Cricket News

Danijones9 months ago05 mins

NEW DELHI: In a hard-fought IPL encounter, Rajasthan Royals faced a formidable challenge from Punjab Kings’ bowlers, who utilised clever variations in pace on a challenging Mullanpur pitch in Chandigarh on Saturday.Despite the seemingly modest target of 148, Royals encountered significant hurdles as they navigated through a set of disciplined Punjab bowlers and a tricky playing surface.However, despite the challenges posed by the Punjab bowlers and the tacky pitch, Royals exhibited resilience and determination to overcome the obstacles. Through determined efforts and effective partnerships, they managed to reach the target, ultimately posting a total of 152 for seven.IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPRoyals, who won 5 out of 6 games to sit atop, returned to winning ways after losing to Gujarat Titans in their last encounter.Royals skipper Sanju Samson, however, was not very happy with the way they fielded, especially on one occasion when he almost collided with pacer Avesh Khan in pursuit of a skier, ultimately both making a mess of it.“(High-catches) We had a few funny instances from last year and this year. But I am really happy that everyone is eager to go and catch it. I would be very sad if people are just staying away and not catching it. It gets a bit tough actually – the stadium is full of noise and when people call, we are looking at the ball, we can’t look who is coming. I need to tell my fast bowlers that it’s a bit easier to catch with the gloves instead of hands,” said Samson at the post-match interaction.“We all were (tensed during the run-chase). Games against Punjab in the last 3-4 years, each and every game is very close, very funny feeling. They were bowling really well, it was a funny game. (On Hetmyer) He has been doing it for years and years. Lots of experience, some composure and some confidence about his skills. He has won games many times. Rovman and Hetty – having them was good.Tanush is an interesting youngster. He came in as an allrounder, he had a fabulous Ranji Trophy season with Mumbai and he’s been performing well. He’s been impressing all the coaching staff and everyone in the nets. We had a proper, settled batting order after the openers, we didn’t want to unsettle it and then bring someone up for just one game,” Samson added.“Jos is almost ready for the next game, so we just wanted to try him up the order. Very happy to see him (Jaiswal) spend some time in the middle, get those 30s and 40s. That’s what this tournament has taught me for the last 10 years – never take it for granted. Last game, we did some really great things and we ended up on the losing side. Today, we made a bit more mistakes and we ended up winning the game. It’s a very funny game, so we’d like to keep our heads down and just do the process,” Samson concluded.

Mumbai Fans Super Excited For MS Dhoni’s Wankhede Stadium Re-Entry. Watch

Danijones9 months ago03 mins

Glimpse of the video© X (Twitter) Mumbai Indians stunned everyone with their big seven-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their previous IPL 2024 match. Beginning their new era under captaincy of Hardik Pandya, the five-time champions had a shaky start to their IPL 2024 campaign as they lost three consecutive matches. However, they got back on track with two back-to-back wins against Delhi Capitals and RCB. MI will now be squaring off against their old rivals Chennai Super Kings in their next match on Sunday in Mumbai. Ahead of the mouth-watering clash, a heartfelt moment was witnessed outside the Wankhede stadium. Hundreds of fans gathered and surrounded CSK’s team bus, in hope of getting a glimpse of the star players, who were entering the stadium for their practice session. The WankheDEN Vibes! Overwhelmed!#WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/lPmkFl8vn3 — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 12, 2024 The fans were seen running and excitedly jumping while welcoming the visitors to their ground. This brilliant gesture by the Mumbai crowd totally showed the crazy fandom of MS Dhoni and CSK, even in an away match. Talking about MI’s match against RCB, Suryakumar Yadav (52) and Ishan Kishan (69) provided the fireworks with the bat after Jasprit Bumrah’s magical five-wicket haul as Mumbai Indians pummelled Royal Challengers Bengaluru by seven wickets. “I have never seen someone dominating like the way Suryakumar does. Unbelievable. Where do you bowl to him? I am so glad I am not playing cricket now. At this age, where do you bowl to this guy? “He has got an answer for every ball you bowl to him, whether it’s wide yorker, bouncer. He can play sweep, pull, upper cut and I don’t what else he can play. He is a different kind of a player,” Former India spinner Harbhajan said on Star Sports. On the other hand, CSK also defeated Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous match by seven wickets. Topics mentioned in this article

Shimron Hetmyer seals nervy win for Rajasthan Royals against Punjab Kings | Cricket

Danijones9 months ago06 mins

Given what had transpired in IPL 2024 before Saturday, a target of 148 should not have posed any threat. Especially when the team chasing was an in-form Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the team defending was a struggling Punjab Kings (PBKS). However, a tricky pitch at the stadium in Mullanpur combined with a better bowling show from PBKS meant that RR had a few jittery moments in their run chase. Rajasthan Royals batters Shimron Hetmyer and Trent Boult celebrate their victory over PBKS(PTI) In the end, RR did get to the target with three wickets in hand and only a ball to spare, which means they occupy the top spot with five wins in six matches. After an all-round bowling effort by RR that restricted the hosts to 147/8 — Avesh Khan and Keshav Maharaj took two wickets apiece while Trent Boult, Kuldeep Sen and Yuzvendra Chahal claimed a scalp each — it was Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmyer who played crucial knocks to take Rajasthan over the line in a tense chase. Unlock exclusive access to the story of India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! While Jaiswal got back to form at the top of the order with a 28-ball 39, Hetmyer showed his finishing prowess in the final over of the game. With RR needing 10 off the last six balls, Punjab’s Arshdeep Singh began by nailing the yorker twice in a row for dot balls. When Arshdeep erred ever so slightly off the third ball, Hetmyer managed to hit a six to relieve all the pressure. Two balls later, Hetmyer finished the game in style by hammering a rank full toss over the fine leg boundary for six. His 10-ball 27 not out earned him the player-of-the-match award. Arshdeep is known to bowl the yorker in the death overs but faltered in his execution against the big-hitting West Indian when the pressure was on. It didn’t look like Hetmyer would be required when Jaiswal was on song early in the innings. Used as an impact player in this game, Jaiswal stitched together an opening stand of 56 with Tanush Kotian, who was brought into the side for off-spinner R Ashwin and opened in Jos Buttler’s absence. Both Ashwin and Buttler were nursing niggles. If not for Kagiso Rabada dismissing Jaiswal and Sanju Samson in successive overs, RR might have had a much more straightforward chase. Riyan Parag, in superb form this season, also couldn’t see it through on Saturday, getting dismissed after making 23 off 18 balls courtesy an excellent catch by Rabada at deep midwicket off Arshdeep. That was when Hetmyer had to come to the party and he didn’t disappoint. Punjab faced a blow even before a ball was bowled as captain Shikhar Dhawan was not available for the game, resulting in Sam Curran taking charge. Similar to the previous games, Punjab’s top-order disappointed again as they were tottering at 52/4 in 9.3 overs. Jonny Bairstow’s middling run is a cause for concern in particular. He took 19 balls for 15 before giving left-arm spinner Maharaj his first IPL wicket. That Punjab’s eventual total had a degree of respectability was thanks to the efforts of Jitesh Sharma (29 off 24 balls), Liam Livingstone (21 off 14 balls) and Ashutosh Sharma. Having made an impact in the earlier games, Ashutosh again stepped up with a late blitz of 31 (16 balls) — his innings included three sixes and a four — to take the hosts near the 150-run mark. That 72 runs came off the last six overs allowed Punjab to go into the second innings with optimism. For RR, Maharaj and Avesh were the pick of the bowlers.

Blessing and curse: Hetmyer on double-edged finisher’s role in IPL 2024

Danijones9 months ago04 mins

Rajasthan sneaked past PBKS in a final over thriller at the Mullanpur Stadium on Saturday, 13 April. RR were saved by Shimron Hetmyer’s 27* off just 10 balls, where the batter kept his nerve and chased down 10 runs in the final over against Arshdeep Singh. Hetmyer won the player of the match award for his terrific innings which brought Rajasthan back to winning ways in the Indian Premier League 2024. Speaking after the game, Hetmyer said that it was a blessing and curse to be a finisher in the tournament as things were so unpredictable in the final few overs of the game. On the day, Hetmyer was under pressure after missing the first two balls of the final over but managed to pull off a terrific victory for the Jaipur-based franchise. “I practice hard. I try to back myself for batting in these situations in the nets. I try as much as possible in the nets. I try my best to hit sixes. Sometimes, it comes off; sometimes, you can’t. Happy to pull off a victory for my team tonight,” Hetmyer said in the post-match presentation ceremony. IPL 2024: PBKS vs RR Highlights “The pressure was creeping on me after a couple of balls. But I was as clear as possible about my job in hand,” the star player further added. IPL 2024 Full Coverage | IPL 2024 Points Table and Standings | 2024 IPL Full Schedule At one point in time, it seemed like RR had made a mess of a simple 149-run chase after they opened with uncapped Mumbai spinner Tanush Kotiyan. Kotiyan, who plays as a spin bowling all-rounder for Mumbai in the domestic circuit looked out of his depth and was only able to score 24 off 31 balls. Things got quite tricky for the RR finishers in the final over, but two cameos from Rovman Powell and Shimron Hetmyer was able to give them the edge that they needed to win the game. “After missing a couple of deliveries first up in the final over, Boult came to me and said you have got this, mate. Yeah, definitely. I would have taken a single if it was there on offer with two needed off two. We (Boult and me) spoke about it. Single or double whatever was offered at that stage, we were going for it. A full toss came my way, and I was like (chuckles), backed myself and went for the six,” concluded the ever-smiling Hetmyer. With the win, Rajasthan remained at the top of the table with 10 points from 6 games. Published By: Kingshuk Kusari Published On: Apr 14, 2024

PBKS vs RR, IPL 2024 Highlights: Shimron Hetmyer stars as Rajasthan Royals beat Punjab Kings in a low-scoring thriller | Cricket News

Danijones9 months ago07 mins

NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals encountered a challenge against the Punjab Kings bowlers, who cleverly varied the pace on a sticky pitch. Despite the difficult conditions, the Royals managed to secure a hard-fought three-wicket victory in their IPL encounter on Saturday.Although the target of 148 seemed relatively straightforward, the precise bowling from Punjab and the challenging pitch made it a tough task for the Royals.However, they eventually reached 152 for seven.With 49 runs needed off the last five overs, the Rajasthan team faced a tense situation. Despite having power-hitters like Rovman Powell (11 off 5 balls) and Shimron Hetmyer (27 not out off 10 balls, including 1 four and 3 sixes), they had to wait until the penultimate ball of the match to cross the finish line. That equation came down to 10 off the final six balls after Hetmyer moussed Harshal Patel for a six and four, which the West Indian left-hander realised through a couple of sixes off pacer Arshdeep Singh in the last over.The Royals began their chase sedately through Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tanush Kotian without any real scoreboard pressure behind them.However, Kotian, who was batting so up in the order in T20s for the first time, did not find his flow but still assisted Jaiswal to add 56 in 8.2 overs.But his effort to hammer Liam Livingstone out of the ground ended up in him losing his leg-stump.Jaiswal, who played a delectable flick off Kagiso Rabada, looked on course to end a string of low scores in this IPL. But a rather needless uppercut off Rabada was grabbed by Harshal Patel near third man as Rajasthan looked a tad wobbly.Their woes deepened when skipper Sanju Samson, who had earlier broken the manacles with a six and four off Livingstone, was trapped leg-before by Rabada in his last over.Samson could not connect with a slightly low, incoming delivery from Rabada, and the ball pinged his backfoot and even the DRS could not save him.Earlier, Rajasthan bowlers under Avesh (2/34) and Maharaj (2/23) exploited a sticky pitch to the hilt to restrict Punjab Kings to an underwhelming total.Ashutosh Sharma (31, 16b), Jitesh Sharma (29, 24b) and Livingstone (21, 14b) tried to force the pace but Punjab needed more than those pretty little cameos. But the Kings had a rather quick start to their innings with 26 runs coming in the first three overs as Atharva Taide, who came in for injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, hammered a couple of fours off pacer Kuldeep Sen.But the brakes were soon applied as Taide’s mistimed pull off Avesh ended in the hands of Sen inside the circle.Thereafter the Punjab batters struggled to muster any sort of momentum on a pitch that gripped a bit, especially for left-arm spinner Maharaj and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.However, a slice of credit should also go to veteran pacer Trent Boult who conceded just 15 runs in his three power play overs. The last three power play overs fetched only 10 runs for Kings as they ended that passage on a modest 38 for one.In the next five overs, the hosts struggled to hit even one boundary as they laboured to 53 for four in 10 overs, losing Jonny Bairstow, stand-in-skipper Sam Curran and Prabhsimran Singh, all consumed by the combination of a slow deck and accurate spinners.Their biggest hope could have been the range-hitting ability of in-form Shahshank Singh but a feeble pull off Sen could not progress beyond Jurel at mid-wicket.With the cream of top-order failing to contribute anything significant, PBKS required some hefty hand from Livingstone and Jitesh to get to even a par score.Sharma showed some intent too, clobbering Chahal for a gorgeously timed six over extra over, and later sent Sen for a six to the straight fence before getting out to Avesh.Livingstone, who creamed Sen for a six and four off successive balls through mid-wicket, and Ashutosh, who smoked Avesh for two sixes in the 19th over, helped PBKS add 61 runs in the last five overs, but their effort came a wee bit late. (With inputs from PTI)

"It's good news for Punjab as well as India": Aakash Chopra on Arsdeep Singh's performance | Cricket

Rajasthan Royals win the see-saw battle against Punjab Kings; Hetmyer shines with bat | Cricket

Danijones9 months ago010 mins

Mullanpur [India], : A determined and entertaining knock by Shimron Hetmyer helped Rajasthan Royals secure a three-wicket win over Punjab Kings in a last over thriller during the Indian Premier League at Mullanpur Stadium on Saturday. It was Punjab Kings second defeat on their home turf. HT Image RR continue to be on the top of points table with five wins and a loss and 10 points. PBKS are in the eighth spot, with two wins and four losses. Unlock exclusive access to the story of India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! In the run-chase of 148 runs, Rajasthan openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tanush Kotian started off well, taking precautions and not hitting too many big hits. Jaiswal in particular, took his time on the crease, hoping to find some form and runs. At the end of six overs and the powerplay, RR were 43/0, with Jaiswal and Kotian unbeaten. 50 runs were up for RR in 7.1 overs. The 56-run stand between the two ended with Kotian’s stumps castled by Liam Livingstone He scored 24 off 31 balls. RR were 56/1 in 8.2 overs. At the end of 10 overs, RR were 66/1, with skipper Sanju Samson joining Jaiswal . Samson hit Livingstone for a four and six. Jaiswal could not get his half-century. Kagiso Rabada got his first wicket and Harshal Patel took a catch at third man to remove the left-hander for 39 in 28 balls, with four boundaries. RR were 82/2 in 11.2 overs. Samson also gave away his wicket, as he was trapped leg-before-wicket by Rabada for 18 in 14 balls, with a four and six. RR were 89/3 in 13.2 overs. Youngsters Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel took RR to the 100-run mark in 15.1 overs. With some tight bowling, PBKS bowlers had managed to put pressure on RR. Though Parag tried to accelerate scoring with a six, Arshdeep got him caught near the boundary for 23 in 18 balls. RR were 113/4 in 16.2 overs. Just a few balls later, Harshal Patel dismissed Dhruv Jurel as well, for just six runs. Shashank Singh took a catch to reduce RR to 115/5 in 17.2 overs. Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell took off a considerable amount of pressure in the see-saw battle with Hetmyer scoring a six and four in the 18th over, leaving RR with 20 runs to chase in 12 balls. Powell started the next over with two fours. However, he was caught behind by Jitesh Sharma, giving Sam Curran a wicket. He was gone for 11 in five balls. RR were 136/6 in 18.3 overs. Curran got Keshav Maharaj caught by Liam Livingstone on the final ball for just one. RR needed 10 runs in the final over. Arshdeep Singh was sent to bowl and he delivered two yorkers, but conceded a six on the third ball. Hetmyer took a double, bringing down the deficit to two runs in two balls. Hetmyer hit the winning boundary on the second-last ball, ending the innings at 152/7 in 19.5 overs. Hetmyer scored a magnificent 27 in 10 balls and was unbeaten with Trent Boult who was yet to open his account. Rabada and Curran were the top bowlers for PBKS. Earlier, fiery spells from Avesh Khan and Keshav Maharaj kept the wickets falling at regular intervals while a cameo from Ashutosh Sharma powered Punjab Kings to a respectable 147/8 in their 20 overs. After being put to bat first, PBKS started off cautiously, with openers Atharva Taide and Jonny Bairstow not taking a lot of risk against the new ball trio of Trent Boult, Avesh Khan and Kuldip Sen. Avesh got his first wicket in the powerplay, removing Taide for 12-ball 15, with two fours. He was caught by Kuldip at short third man. PBKS were 27/1 in 3.4 overs.Prabhsimran Singh and Bairstow took PBKS through the remainder of the powerplay without any further loss. Aet the end of six overs, PBKS were 38/1 after the powerplay. However, just after the powerplay ended, Prabhsimran threw his wicket, gifting an easy catch to Dhruv Jurel and Yuzvendra Chahal his 198th IPL wicket. e Bairstow’s poor run in IPL continued, as he gave Shimron Hetmyer some easy catching practice at cover region. Keshav Maharaj got him for just 15 runs in 19 balls, with only one boundary. PBKS were 47/3 in seven overs. Sam Curran joined Jitesh Sharma. PBKS reached the 50-run mark in nine overs. Jurel just could not be kept out of action as he ran from deep mid-wicket to take a fine catch, removing Curran for six off ten balls. Maharaj got his second wicket. PBKS were 52/4 in 9.3 overs. At the end of 10 overs, PBKS were 53/4. At the other end was now Shashank Singh, the uncapped Indian batter who had emerged as PBKS’ hero in the previous two matches. However, tight bowling from Royals’ managed to keep the batter silent, as Kuldip got his wicket for just nine runs in nine balls. Liam Livingstone joined Jitesh at the other end. Both upped the attack, smashing Kuldip for 17 runs in the 16th over, including two sixes and a four. 100 runs were up for Punjab in 16 overs. Avesh cut short their promising partnership at just 33 runs, removing Jitesh for 29 in 24 balls, with a four and two sixes. Riyan Parag took an easy catch. The next player was the ‘Impact Player’ Ashuotsh Sharma. He made his intentions clear by smashing Chahal for a six, but Livingstone was run out on the very next ball for 21 in 14 balls, with two fours and a six. The penultimate over by Avesh relieved some pressure for Punjab, as Ashutosh smashed two sixes and got 18 runs from it, taking the score to 141. The final over bowled by Boult produced only six runs and the wicket of Ashutosh on the final ball. PBKS ended their innings at 147/8 in their 20 overs, with…

PBKS vs RR, IPL 2024: Rajasthan Royals Brave Accurate Punjab Kings Bowlers, Slow Pitch To Register Three-Wicket Win

Danijones9 months ago07 mins

Rajasthan Royals struggled against Punjab Kings bowlers who took the pace off the ball cleverly on a sticky pitch but found enough steam to eke out a hardworking three-wicket win in their IPL 2024 match at Mullanpur on Saturday. The target was a rather easy-looking 148 but a set of spot-on Punjab bowlers and a tacky surface made the task of Royals tough before they made 152 for seven. The Rajasthan outfit required 49 runs off the last five overs, but they had to wait till the penultimate ball of the match to get over the line despite having power-hitters like Rovman Powell (11, 5b) and Shimron Hetmyer (27 not out, 10b, 1×4, 3×6) in their ranks. That equation came down to 10 off the final six balls after Hetmyer moussed Harshal Patel for a six and four, which the West Indian left-hander realised through a couple of sixes off pacer Arshdeep Singh in the last over. The Royals began their chase sedately through Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tanush Kotian without any real scoreboard pressure behind them. However, Kotian, who was batting so up in the order in T20s for the first time, did not find his flow but still assisted Jaiswal to add 56 in 8.2 overs. But his effort to hammer Liam Livingstone out of the ground ended up in him losing his leg-stump. Jaiswal, who played a delectable flick off Kagiso Rabada, looked on course to end a string of low scores in this IPL. But a rather needless uppercut off Rabada was grabbed by Harshal Patel near third man as Rajasthan looked a tad wobbly. Their woes deepened when skipper Sanju Samson, who had earlier broken the manacles with a six and four off Livingstone, was trapped leg-before by Rabada in his last over. Samson could not connect with a slightly low, incoming delivery from Rabada, and the ball pinged his backfoot and even the DRS could not save him. Earlier, Rajasthan bowlers under Avesh (2/34) and Maharaj (2/23) exploited a sticky pitch to the hilt to restrict Punjab Kings to an underwhelming total. Ashutosh Sharma (31, 16b), Jitesh Sharma (29, 24b) and Livingstone (21, 14b) tried to force the pace but Punjab needed more than those pretty little cameos. But the Kings had a rather quick start to their innings with 26 runs coming in the first three overs as Atharva Taide, who came in for injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, hammered a couple of fours off pacer Kuldeep Sen. But the brakes were soon applied as Taide’s mistimed pull off Avesh ended in the hands of Sen inside the circle. Thereafter the Punjab batters struggled to muster any sort of momentum on a pitch that gripped a bit, especially for left-arm spinner Maharaj and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. However, a slice of credit should also go to veteran pacer Trent Boult who conceded just 15 runs in his three power play overs. The last three power play overs fetched only 10 runs for Kings as they ended that passage on a modest 38 for one. In the next five overs, the hosts struggled to hit even one boundary as they laboured to 53 for four in 10 overs, losing Jonny Bairstow, stand-in-skipper Sam Curran and Prabhsimran Singh, all consumed by the combination of a slow deck and accurate spinners. Their biggest hope could have been the range-hitting ability of in-form Shahshank Singh but a feeble pull off Sen could not progress beyond Jurel at mid-wicket. With the cream of top-order failing to contribute anything significant, PBKS required some hefty hand from Livingstone and Jitesh to get to even a par score. Sharma showed some intent too, clobbering Chahal for a gorgeously timed six over extra over, and later sent Sen for a six to the straight fence before getting out to Avesh. Livingstone, who creamed Sen for a six and four off successive balls through mid-wicket, and Ashutosh, who smoked Avesh for two sixes in the 19th over, helped PBKS add 61 runs in the last five overs, but their effort came a wee bit late. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

IPL 2024 Updated Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap: How Narrow Win vs PBKS Impacts RR

Danijones9 months ago03 mins

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 was witness to another close match on Saturday as Rajasthan Royals trumped Punjab Kings in the last over of a low-scoring thriller. After Punjsb Kings scored jus 147/8 in 20 overs, it seemed that the task would be easy. However, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh bowled their hearts out as the match went till the last over. RR won with 1 ball left. With the favourable result vs Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals consolidated their position on top of the points table. Read here: IPL 2024 Points Table They have five wins in six games. They are followed by Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. Punjab Kings are currently placed eighth in the 10-team table with two wins in six matches. Currently, Royal Challengers Bengaluru is the Orange Cap holder with 319 runs in six games. Rajasthan Royals’ Yuzvendra Chahal in the Purple Cap holder with 11 wickets in six games. Rajasthan Royals defeated Punjab Kings by three wickets in their IPL match on Saturday. Asked to bat first, Punjab Kings, who played without their injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, didn’t get any momentum in their innings with lower-order batter Ashutosh Sharma (31), Jitesh Sharma (29) and Liam Livingstone (21) managing to take the team close to the 150-mark. In reply, RR huffed and puffed their way to the victory target of 148 with a ball to spare, thanks to Shimron Hetmyer’s 10-ball 27 after Yashasvi Jaiswal (39), Tanush Kotian (24), Riyan Parag (23) frittered away starts. Kagiso Rabada (2/18) was the best bowler for Punjab with his two wickets. For RR, Keshav Maharaj (2/23) and Avesh Khan (2/34) picked up two wickets each, while Trent Boult (1/22), Kuldeep Sen (1/35) and Yuzvendra Chahal (1/31) bagged one each. Brief Scores: PBKS: 147 for 8 in 20 overs (Ashutosh Sharma 31; Keshav Maharaj 2/23). RR: 152 for 7 in 19.5 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 39; Shimron Hetmyer 27; Kagiso Rabada 2/18). With PTI inputs Topics mentioned in this article