Once cruising into the chase, Rajasthan Royals lost 4 wickets in two overs as they succumbed to 170 while chasing a massive 185 run-total, losing the match by 14 runs.
How often do you see Chris Gayle fuming after getting out? Seldom, right? An in-form Gayle was on course to hit a century on his opening match of this year’s IPL. The left-hander played a spectacular inning of 79 runs off just 47 deliveries. He smashed eight fours and four sixes in his innings and gave his team a total they would love to chase. Sarfaraz Khan gave him nice support, coming in at number four, also played a wonderful 46-run unbeaten knock, guiding his side to 184 for four at the end of 20 overs.
Batting first, Kings Eleven Punjab started off slowly, having lost KL Rahul early in the innings for just four. Chris Gayle, as expected, took his time to get himself in. His ally Mayank also didn’t play any ramp shot as only three fours and one six were hit in the first 42 deliveries.
Nonetheless, Chris Gayle and Agarwal stitched together a 56-run partnership before Agarwal skied the ball too long off to Kulkarni at the ropes. Royal’s bowlers bowled wonderfully in the first half of the innings, having scored just 68 runs in 10 overs, not allowing Gayle to free his arms and play his shots comfortably.
However, you can’t stop the West Indian for too long. Come the twelfth over, Gayle hammered Unadkat for three consecutive fours and then a six. Gayle is certainly in the form of his life and you get the feeling that this will Gayle’s best IPL season as we are hoping he changes Kings Eleven’s Fortune this time around.
Jofra Archer was the star of all the bowlers used by Rajasthan Royals. The all-rounder gave away just 17 runs in his quota of four overs, including the one over bowled when Gayle was firing at his end. Though, he didn’t pick up any wickets to his column.
Barring the all-rounder, all the bowlers leaked heavy amount of runs with Ben Stokes proving to be the most expensive, having conceded 48 runs in four overs.
In reply, Ajinkya Rahane and Jos Buttler gave their side an ideal start, with the latter hitting three fours in the very first over.
Contrary to how Punjab batted in their power play overs, the duo gave the Royals a rollicking start, amassing as many as 64 runs in the first six overs. Both the right-handers hit the ball to all parts of the ground, making Ashwin’s life difficult in the middle.
Buttler and Rahane were cruising into the chase pretty easily, having made 78 runs in eight overs. Punjab needed to break the partnership in order to stay in the contest. Proving to be the best bowler in the match, skipper Ravi Ashwin got the important breakthrough of Rahane, cleaning him up on 27. However, on the other end, Jos Buttler was unstoppable, taking the game away from the Kings.
Royals needing one more, Ashwin again came to Royal’s help but this time not in a very likely fashion. He ran Buttler out, leading to evoke a lot of emotions from everyone but in the end got the crucial wicket.
77 runs were still required from 43 deliveries, with the comeback man Steve Smith and the no-more-a-youngster Sanju Samson at the crease.
Rajasthan boasts of a daunting batting line up as the duo were comfortably chasing the total with no risks whatsoever. However, just when it looked like the match has gone out of reach from the Kings, Smith lofted the ball in the air only to see a spectacular catch by KL Rahul as the Australian departed for 19 and match again came into balance. Interestingly, Samson too departed in the same over.
35 were needed in the last three. In an attempt to hit consecutive sixes to Mujeeb, Stokes lost his wicket on the second delivery he faced after hitting the first one for a six and Royal’s batting line looked no-so-daunting in the space of seven deliveries.
Rajasthan needed a partnership but what followed was another wicket in the form of Tripathi as they lost four wickets inside two overs as the equation came to 27 from 12.
A T-20 specialist, Jofra Archer was still at the crease along with Gowtham. Much to the delight of Indian fans, Mohammed Shami pulled off a perfect penultimate over, including the wicket of Archer as the Kings Eleven Punjab made a sensational comeback in the last four overs.
With 21 needed in the last over, it was too much for Rajasthan as Kings Eleven won the match by 14 runs in the end.
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