SCOREBOARD

K.L. Rahul (76, 48b, 8x4, 2x6) overcame early hiccups and heralded another recovery job in the company of Deepak Hooda (50, 31b, 7x4) to take Lucknow Super Giants to 196 for †ve against Rajasthan Royals in an Indian Premier League match at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium here on Saturday.

Rahul and Hooda combined for 115 runs for the third wicket after Trent Boult and Sandeep Sharma’s new ball exploits plundered the Lucknow top order. Boult added to his collection of †rst-over wickets with a delivery that pitched and straightened, taking Quinton de Kock’s o“ stump with it.

Sandeep breaching Marcus Stoinis’ gate with a nipbacker in the second over, would have been the perfect emulation of his newball partner had he hit the o“ stump and not the middle.

Undeterred by the fall of wickets, Rahul ¤exed his mobility when he fashioned a slog sweep and breached the fence despite losing balance and falling down o“ R. Ashwin. If the

LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS

Quinton de Kock b Boult 8 (3b, 2x4), K.L. Rahul c Boult b Avesh 76 (48b, 8x4, 2x6), Marcus Stoinis b Sandeep 0 (4b), Deepak Hooda c Powell b Ashwin 50 (31b, 7x4), Nicholas Pooran c Boult b Sandeep 11 (11b, 1x4), Ayush Badoni (not out) 18 (13b, 1x4), Krunal Pandya (not out) 15 (11b, 1x4); Extras (lb-2, nb-1, w-15): 18; Total (for five wkts. in 20 overs): 196.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-8 (de Kock, 0.3 overs), 2-11 (Stoinis, 1.6), 3-126 (Hooda, 12.1), 4-150 (Pooran, 15.1), 5-173 (Rahul, 17.2).

ROYALS BOWLING

Boult 4-0-41-1, Sandeep 4-0-31-2, Avesh 4-0-42-1, Ashwin 4-0-39-1, Chahal 4-0-41-0.

Toss: RR.