On a searing May afternoon, Rajasthan Royals’ batting got close and came undone when it mattered most yet again when confronted by a stern target to hand Punjab Kings a 10-run victory at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium on Sunday.
Dhruv Jurel stood till the final over but could not put his foot on the pedal with 22 needed off the final over. Arshdeep Singh, who had conceded 52 in his first three overs, allowed just eight in the 19th over to tighten the noose around the home team.
Marco Jansen picked two wickets in the final over to leave the Royals short of the 220-run target.
RR had the contest firmly in its grip when it wiped off 89 runs off the target inside the PowerPlay. Yashasvi Jaiswal did not hang around for sighters, heaving the first delivery over midwicket. He collected 22 runs off Arshdeep’s opening over, which included a ramp over the keeper and a pick-up over square leg off his pads.
But even Jaiswal’s approach looked measured against Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s, who stayed true to his flamboyance and cleared his front foot to heave across the line. PBKS bowlers picking the slot only made it easier for the prodigy.
In a format which obsesses over matchups, left-arm orthodox Harpreet Brar defied the modern convention and emerged as an unlikely hero as he nabbed the left-handed openers. He quashed Suryavanshi’s hopes of reprising his heroics against Gujarat Titans, forcing a miscue to mid off. Jaiswal toe-ended to long off while attempting to clear the ropes.
Brar stepped in once again when he castled Riyan Parag to thwart a comeback stand brewing between him and Jurel.
That PBKS had enough to play with down to Nehal Wadhera 70 (37b, 5×4, 5×6) and Shashank Singh who turned the screws around the Royals bowlers despite a jittery start.
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Caution was not on the cards for Wadhera, who walked in at 34 for two, as he pocketed his first boundary off Tushar Deshpande by slashing outside off. Fazalhaq Farooqi’s attempt to ambush him with a bouncer was dispatched over deep midwicket.
But the onslaught was reserved for the tweakers, and inserting leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga did not aid RR’s cause. Wadhera flaunted his on-side range against Hasaranga, piercing the gap between deep midwicket and deep fine leg twice in one over.
For a second game running, Shreyas Iyer accommodated himself in a new position. His 25-ball 30 at number five appeared pale in front of his partner’s flair, but it settled the nerves after an uninspired start. Though Riyan Parag lured Iyer into holing out at long off, Wadhera continued picking Hasaranga, first down the ground and then over deep midwicket.
Wadhera hooked Akash Madhwal behind square to bring up his half century in 25 deliveries. Shashank took over once Wadhera fell, and his 30-ball 59 secured PBKS 72 runs off the final five overs.
Earlier, Deshpande and Kwena Maphaka smothered the Kings’ expeditious start. Priyansh Arya squandered a reprieve when he chipped to mid off off Deshpande just one delivery after he was put down at short fine leg.
Mitch Owen’s heedless heave across the line ensured his IPL debut lasted two deliveries and handed Maphaka his second IPL wicket. It was a benign length delivery that strangled the in-form Prabhsimran Singh down the leg, ending his thrill-a-minute 10-ball 21.