Royals call the shots as Kings huff and puff to 147
Maharaj bags a couple of wickets at a good economy rate; Curran leads the Punjab side in place of Dhawan; Buttler and Ashwin are also out with niggles for Rajasthan team
The Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) surprised even before it began.
Sam Curran, not Shikhar Dhawan, walked out for the toss for Kings. Dhawan, out with a niggle, had been replaced by Atharva Taide, informed Curran.
Samson’s turn
It was then Royals captain Sanju Samson’s turn to surprise. He revealed that Jos Buttler and R. Ashwin, both out with their own niggles, had been replaced by Rovman Powell and — Samson found it hard to remember the name — Tanush Kotian.
Allrounder Kotian was the PlayeroftheTournament in Mumbai’s recent titlewinning Ranji Trophy campaign.
Then, it was a bore snore of an overall batting display by Kings to get to 147 for eight.
As laboriously as someone tethered to a rock would, Kings panted and heaved its way to 53 for four in ten overs. Only 38 was scored in the PowerPlay, with 14 dot balls.
Opener Taide was the first to fall, as he hacked across a hardlength delivery off Avesh Khan — the topedge was pouched by Kuldeep Sen, who, at short thirdman, had his eyes peeled and pencilsharp even as ’keeper Samson, calling for the catch, almost collided with him.
In a hurry
Prabhsimran Singh, as if in a hurry to stir up a whirlwind with his bat, strode out and hit one into the wind off Yuzvendra Chahal to hole out to deep midwicket.
Jonny Bairstow casually looped up a catch to Shimron Hetmyer at extracover off Keshav Maharaj, and Curran pulled a shorter, skidding ball into the wind to be caught by Dhruv Jurel at deep midwicket off Maharaj.
In the next ten overs, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, and Ashutosh Sharma dazzled like Ninja Turtles in a combat, only in parts. Jitesh Sharma hit two sixes — he skipped down the track and creamed Chahal over the deep extracover boundary, and bashed Kuldeep Sen straight over his head.
Livingstone hit Sen for a four and a six to the deep midwicket boundary. Ashutosh whacked three sixes — one off Avesh, and two off Chahal.
Rajasthan Royals had made 114 for four at the end of 17 overs with Jurel (6) and Hetmyer (1) at the crease. Jaiswal (39), Kotian (24), Samson (18), and Parag (23) were the batters to be dismissed. Rabada, who scalped Jaiswal and Samson’s wickets, shone with figures of 40182. Arshdeep and Livingstone took a wicket each