December 23, 2024
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IPL 2024 Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap: Delhi Capitals Gain Big With Win Over Gujarat Titans

IPL 2024 Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap: Delhi Capitals Gain Big With Win Over Gujarat Titans

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Sharp glovework by skipper Rishabh Pant and some inspired bowling set up a crushing six-wicket win for Delhi Capitals after Gujarat Titans fell to their IPL lowest of 89 on Wednesday. Medium-pace bowler Mukesh Kumar stood out with figures of 3-14 to help bundle out Gujarat in 17.3 overs and Delhi raced to their target in 8.5 overs in Ahmedabad. Delhi, who were without injured David Warner, registered just their third win of this season to jump three places to sixth in the 10-team table. Meanwhile, GT, Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians lost a place each to slip to the seventh, eighth and ninth spots, respectively. Rest of the points table remained unchanged with Rajasthan Royals holding the top spot. Here is the updated IPL 2024 points table: Virat Kohli led the run-scorers’ chart with 361 runs from 7 matches, while Yuzvendra Chahal was on top of wicket-takers’ list with 12 scalps from 7 games. Talking about the Gt vs DC game, Pant, who returned to this year’s IPL after surviving a horror car crash, stood unbeaten on 16 after Australian batter Jake Fraser-McGurk made a brisk 20. The 26-year-old Pant, a left-hand batsman, has scored 210 runs, including two half-centuries, in a boost to his chances of a return to the T20 World Cup in June. India fast bowler Ishant Sharma dismissed captain Shubman Gill for eight in the second over of the match and Gujarat kept losing wickets to some disciplined bowling. The fielding remained impressive after Sumit Kumar sent back Sai Sudarshan for 12 with a direct throw at the non-striker’s end. Pant was nimble behind the stumps and started with a diving catch to dismiss David Miller off Ishant. The wicketkeeper affected two stumpings when his quick work sent back Abhinav Manohar, for eight, and Shahrukh Khan, for a duck in th espace of three balls off South African spinner Tristan Stubbs. Gujarat slipped to 66-7, but Rashid Khan resisted from one end with his gritty 31 off 24 balls before he fell caught behind with Pant taking a regulation catch behind the stumps. Gujarat’s total is the lowest this season in a contrast to some big scores including two record highs of 277 and then 287 by Sunrisers Hyderabad. (With AFP Inputs) Topics mentioned in this article

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

They are just one knock away: Bangar on PBKS top-order | Cricket

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Mullanpur [India], : The Punjab Kings were unable to get past the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League encounter on Saturday at the new PCA Stadium, Mullanpur, losing the low-scoring thriller by three wickets. HT Image The bowling attack showed tremendous fighting spirit taking the match to the last over. High-intensity spells from Kagiso Rabada who recorded 2/18 in his four overs, and the stand-in Captain Sam Curran, who picked 2 wickets and gave just 25 runs in his 4 overs, ensured that the home side stretched the match till the final ball. Unlock exclusive access to the story of India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! At the post-match press conference, Punjab Kings Head of Cricket Development Sanjay Bangar praised the side for battling it out in the middle till the end. “We have been pretty consistent with the team that we have played. Most of our games have gone to the last over. We have been extremely competitive. Even tonight, at one point it felt that the game would be over soon. But the way the fielders hung on, and the bowlers kept pegging on, it just shows the character that the team possesses,” Bangar said “So yes, we are not getting the results, but it’s the kind of character and the kind of fight that is being shown by the team that is exemplary,” he added. Punjab missed skipper Shikhar Dhawan on Saturday as the opener was ruled out due to an injury. Bangar gave an update on Dhawan and said, “Well, unfortunately, we missed out on Shikhar because he has a shoulder injury. We will have to wait and see how he responds to the treatment. It seems that he could be out of action for at least 7-10 days.” Curran led the side as Captain in Dhawan’s absence on Saturday and Bangar explained that the England allrounder was always Punjab Kings’ first choice to be the stand-in Captain in case Dhawan is unavailable for any reason. “Our thought was always that because Sam has led the team in the previous year as well, he would be the stand-in Captain. He was late to arrive from the UK because of which, he wanted to have a few sessions in before the start of the season. Hence, we could not send him to Chennai for the inauguration of the season and Jitesh Sharma was sent in his place as Dhawan’s replacement for the photoshoot,” Bangar said on the subject. Punjab opener Jonny Bairstow has scored 96 runs in 6 games so far this season. On being asked about his form, the former Indian cricketer backed Bairstow and the top order to fire soon. “Yeah, it is certainly a cause of concern that the top order is not making enough runs for us but they are trying hard. They are applying themselves. All games in Mullanpur have been low-scoring games because of how the wicket behaves. In the first six overs with the new ball, the wicket tends to just lag a little bit and there is uneven bounce as well. That is another contributing factor because of which, not only for us but also for the visiting teams, the top order is facing issues here,” Bangar said. “We are constantly having conversations about what are the scoring options on such tracks and that is where the boys are putting in a lot of effort. Currently, it’s not coming off, but I am pretty sure that they are just one knock away,” he added. Bangar also praised Ashutosh Sharma, who scored an unbeaten 31 off 16 balls on the night, helping Punjab post a challenging total, and also praised Jitesh Sharma who had injured an eyebrow while training, but still batted and kept the wickets throughout the match on Saturday. “Credit to Ashutosh for the way again he is batted in the last four or five overs. Jitesh Sharma, who fought through the injury that he had. He had 15 stitches on his eyebrow, so he also contributed at a crucial juncture of the game. So these are boys of immense character and we certainly look at those positives, when we look at this game and wait for the next one to come,” he signed off. Punjab Kings will take on Mumbai Indians on Thursday, th at 19:30 hrs IST. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

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'CSK aur MI ke baad toh apna hi...': Sanju Samson's witty 'viewership' remark | Cricket News

‘CSK aur MI ke baad toh apna hi…’: Sanju Samson’s witty ‘viewership’ remark | Cricket News

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NEW DELHI: Having won five titles each, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are the two most successful teams in the IPL. Renowned for their stellar lineup including icons like MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, they remain the most sought after franchises in the league.In the IPL, close match finishes are a hallmark of the tournament’s thrilling action. With teams evenly matched and top players showcasing their skills, matches often go down to the wire, keeping fans on the edge of their seats until the last ball is bowled or the last run is scored.IPL 2024 Orange Cap| IPL 2024 Purple Cap | IPL 204 Points tableThe match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals on Saturday is the latest example of a nail-biting finish that saw RR hunt down a small 148-run target on the penultimate delivery of the match.After the match, players from both teams gathered for a chat and reflected on the intense contest. Sanju Samson joined the group, which included Yuzvendra Chahal, Jitesh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Sandeep Sharma, and Harpreet Brar, and lightened the mood with a humourous remark. “CSK aur MI ke toh baad apna hi viewership hai,” joked Samson, responding to Chahal’s recollection of the close battles between PBKS and RR.Punjab Kings shared the video of players’ chat on their X handle.Talking about the match, Shimron Hetmyer’s explosive 27 runs off 10 balls helped Rajasthan Royals edge out Punjab Kings with a three-wicket win in Mullanpur.Hetmyer’s spell at the crease, laced with three sixes, brought Rajasthan past Punjab’s 147-8 with only one ball to spare, cementing the side’s place at the top of the table with only one loss from the season so far.

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Sanju Samson: 'Happy that everyone is eager to go...': Sanju Samson lightens mood after catch mishaps | Cricket News

Sanju Samson: ‘Happy that everyone is eager to go…’: Sanju Samson lightens mood after catch mishaps | Cricket News

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NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals found themselves in a familiar yet comical situation as fielders collided while attempting to take a catch during their Indian Premier League match against Punjab Kings, reminiscent of a memorable incident from IPL 2023. Captain Sanju Samson, while acknowledging the amusing nature of the recurring mishaps, also issued a reminder to his team regarding the importance of fielding.IPL 2024: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPDuring the penultimate over of the first innings of Punjab Kings, a miscued shot from Ashutosh Sharma off a delivery from fast bowler Avesh Khan led to a collision between Samson and Avesh as they both attempted to claim the catch. However, neither managed to complete the dismissal, allowing the batsman to capitalize and score valuable runs for Punjab Kings.Reflecting on the incident during the post-match presentation, Samson lightened the mood by remarking on Rajasthan’s tendency for such high-catch instances. “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,” he quipped, eliciting laughter from the presenter and the audience. While acknowledging the challenges posed by noisy crowds and the difficulty in communication during such moments, Samson emphasized the importance of fielders maintaining focus. He directed a firm message to his fast bowlers, highlighting that such catches are easier for wicketkeepers like himself than for fielders.“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 see who is coming. I need to tell my fast bowlers that it’s a bit easier to catch with the gloves instead of hands,” he emphasized, underlining the significance of fielding in the team’s overall performance.Samson’s light-hearted yet firm approach underscores the Royals’ commitment to improving their fielding standards while maintaining a positive spirit amidst the occasional mishaps on the field.

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Shikhar Dhawan out of action for 'at least seven-ten days', set to miss next two games for Punjab Kings – India TV

Shikhar Dhawan out of action for ‘at least seven-ten days’, set to miss next two games for Punjab Kings – India TV

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Image Source : PTI Shikhar Dhawan. Punjab Kings have suffered a major blow mid-season as their skipper Shikhar Dhawan is set to miss the two upcoming fixtures against Mumbai Indians (April 18) and Gujarat Titans (April 21) with a shoulder injury. The Head of Cricket Development at Punjab Kings, Sanjay Bangar, revealed that Shikhar “could be out of action for at least seven-ten days”. Shikhar missed PBKS’ sixth fixture of the season on Saturday (April 13) when they took on table-toppers Rajasthan Royals on their home turf at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh.  Punjab’s star overseas allrounder Sam Curran stepped in for Shikhar and was the stand-in captain during the clash against Rajasthan. Speaking after the three-wicket loss to Rajasthan, Bangar first mentioned that Shikhar could be “out of action for at least a couple of days” but later added that the injury may put him on the sidelines for “at least seven-ten days”. “He’s having a shoulder injury, so he is likely to be out for at least a couple of days, I would say,” Bangar said during the post-match conference. “Having an experienced opener, somebody like Shikhar, who has experience of playing on such wickets, becomes extremely crucial (for the squad). “We have to wait and see how he responds to the treatment. At the moment, it seems that he could be out of action for at least seven-ten days.” Punjab missed Dhawan badly against Rajasthan as their batting order failed to put up a winning score on the board. The consistent batting failure is ailing Punjab and Bangar admitted that it is a cause of concern for the team management. “Certainly is a cause for concern that the top order is not making enough runs for us,” Bangar said. “They are trying hard – I am not saying that they are not applying themselves – but it’s just not coming. Low-scoring games, especially at Mullanpur, the way the wicket is… that also has a factor. Because if you see, some of the scores have been pretty low. “All the three games that we have played here, in the first six overs, with the new ball, the wicket tends to just jag a little bit, and uneven bounce as well. So maybe that is also a contributing factor because, not only us, the visiting teams and their top order are facing issues,” Bangar added. Punjab Kings IPL 2024 squad Jonny Bairstow, Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Ashutosh Sharma, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Nathan Ellis, Shikhar Dhawan, Sikandar Raza, Tanay Thyagarajan, Rishi Dhawan, Rilee Rossouw, Chris Woakes, Shivam Singh, Prince Choudhary, Vishwanath Singh  

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'Didn't start well, didn't finish...': Punjab Kings' Sam Curran after another 'close loss' | Cricket News

‘Didn’t start well, didn’t finish…’: Punjab Kings’ Sam Curran after another ‘close loss’ | Cricket News

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NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Sam Curran, who led the team in the absence of injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, blamed the team’s batters for another ‘close loss’ in the IPL, expressing disappointment with their inability to finish games. Shimron Hetmyer kept his clam and scored an unbeaten 27 off 10 balls as Rajasthan Royals beat Punjab Kings by three wickets in a low-scoring thriller to maintain their pole position in the points table.After restricting Punjab to 147/8 in 20 overs, Royals were in trouble when Hetmyer came in after Riyan Parag’s fall and saw Dhruv Jurel being dismissed as well. Under mounting pressure, Hetmyer, who barely got batting time in the season, smashed a four and three sixes, including the winning shot, to get Royals over the line with a ball to spare. IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPDespite competitive performances, Punjab have struggled to convert opportunities into wins, highlighting the need for improved execution in crucial moments.“The wicket was slightly slow, but we didn’t start well with the bat and didn’t finish well in the end. It was a good effort from the lower order, getting (close) to 150 was excellent, the bowling was good, we kept them down, unfortunately another close loss,” Curran said at the post-match interaction.“We stuck to our plans, bowled and fielded well, but I’m confident we’ll bounce back in the next game. Three games is a hard way to fully work out the conditions (at the new venue), but we’ve adapted well, we won the first match and lost two matches by close margins (by 2 runs and 3 wickets), hard to take, but the boys will be lifted by how well we’ve played in the last couple of games,” Curran added.

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'Blessing and curse': Shimron Hetmyer explains the role of a finisher | Cricket News

‘Blessing and curse’: Shimron Hetmyer explains the role of a finisher | Cricket News

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NEW DELHI: Shimron Hetmyer‘s explosive batting propelled the Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling three-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh on Saturday.With this win, Rajasthan Royals have maintained their position at the top of the points table. They have 10 points in 6 matches – 5 wins and 1 loss.With Punjab Kings restricted to 147/8 in their 20 overs, Rajasthan Royals faced a challenging chase, especially after the dismissals of Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel.IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPHowever, entering the fray under pressure, Hetmyer showcased his prowess as a finisher, smashing an unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls.Despite limited opportunities with the bat throughout the season, Hetmyer’s onslaught included four boundaries and three sixes, culminating in the winning shot that secured victory for RR with a ball to spare.“(On finishing games) It’s just practice, I try as much as possible to bat properly in the nets first and then when everyone’s finished, I go back and try my best to hit sixes. It’s a blessing and a curse (on being the finisher). Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. I am happy that I could help the team pull off a victory today. They (pressure) creep in the first couple of balls that I face, afterwards I just try to keep it as clear as possible,” Hetmyer said after the match.“Even in the last over after I missed the first two balls, he (Boult) came down to me and he was like “Don’t worry, we’ve got this,” and I was able to feed off his energy and it really worked. I would have taken it (single with 2 runs needed off 2 balls). I spoke to Boulty and he said, “I got this.” After he said that, I was like even if I don’t get the other one, I’ll try my best to get a single. Even if we don’t win it, at least tie it. I was really looking to get a single or double and then the full toss came and I tried to hit it over the guys that were inside. Being away from family, the only way you could keep yourself up is by just enjoying every moment that you’re here,” Hetmyer added.Rajasthan Royals will now face Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

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'It's easier to catch...': Sanju Samson's stern message to Rajasthan Royals pacers | Cricket News

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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

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

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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)

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