The Hindu (Thiruvananthapuram)
Hetmyer cameo powers Royals past the finish line
The Rajasthan side makes heavy weather of a modest chase, but the West Indian’s 10-ball 27 seals the deal with a ball to spare; the visitors, led by Maharaj, restrict Kings to 147
fter Yashasvi Jaiswal topscored with 39 (28b, 4x4), Shimron Hetmyer (27 n.o., 10b, 1x4, 3x6) held his nerve to help Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by three wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh international cricket stadium here on Saturday.
With 10 needed off the last over, Arshdeep Singh nailed a couple of wide yorkers for dot balls. Hetmyer then hit a straight six, picked up a double, and hit a six again over the fineleg boundary.
The match 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 Dhawan, out with a niggle, had been replaced by Atharva Taide, informed Curran.
It was then Royals captain Sanju Samson’s turn to surprise. He revealed that Jos Buttler and R. Ashwin, both out with their own
Aniggles, had been replaced by Rovman Powell and Tanush Kotian.
Then, it was a bore snore of an overall batting display by Kings to get to 147 for eight. Only 38 runs were scored in the PowerPlay with 14 dot balls. As laboriously as someone tethered to a rock would, Kings panted and heaved their way to 53 for four in 10 overs.
In the next 10 overs, Jitesh Sharma (29, 24b, 1x4, 2x6), Liam Livingstone (21, 14b, 2x4, 1x6), and Ashutosh Sharma (31, 16b, 1x4, 3x6) dazzled like Ninja Turtles in a combat, only in parts.
And there was surprise again when Royals began their chase. Kotian, who often bats at Nos. 8, 9, and 10 for Mumbai in the Ranji
Trophy, opened the batting with Jaiswal.
The openers managed to get their team to 50 in 7.1 overs. Even after Kotian fell, Jaiswal and Samson seemed to be in control of the chase. But Kagiso Rabada had them both dismis
PUNJAB KINGS
Atharva Taide c Sen b Avesh 15 (12b, 2x4), Jonny Bairstow c Hetmyer b Maharaj 15 (19b, 1x4), Prabhsimran Singh c Jurel b Chahal 10 (14b, 1x4), Sam Curran c Jurel b Maharaj 6 (10b), Jitesh Sharma c Parag b Avesh 29 (24b, 1x4, 2x6), Shashank Singh c Jurel b Sen 9 (9b, 1x4), Liam Livingstone run out 21 (14b, 2x4, 1x6), Ashutosh Sharma (Impact Player in place of Prabhsimran) c Maharaj b Boult 31 (16b, 1x4, 3x6), Harpreet Brar (not out) 3 (3b); Extras (lb2, nb1, w5): 8; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 147.
FALL OF WICKETS
127 (Taide, 3.4), 241 (Prabhsimran, 6.3), 347 (Bairstow, 7.6), 452 (Curran, 9.3), 570 (Shashank, 12.1), 6103 (Jitesh, 16.1), 7122 (Livingstone, 17.5), 8147 (Ashutosh, 19.6).
ROYALS BOWLING
Boult 40221, Sen 40351, Avesh 40342, Chahal 40311, Maharaj 40232.
RAJASTHAN ROYALS Yashasvi Jaiswal (Impact Player in place of Kuldeep Sen) Harshal b Rabada 39 (28b, 4x4), Tanush Kotian b Livingstone 24
csed in consecutive overs. And Royals briefly struggled to be assertive.
With 20 runs needed off 12 balls, Rovman Powell hit backtoback fours to bring (31b, 3x4), Sanju Samson lbw b Rabada 18 (14b, 1x4, 1x6), Riyan Parag c Rabada b Arshdeep 23 (18b, 1x4, 1x6), Dhruv Jurel c Shashank b Harshal 6 (11b),
Shimron Hetmyer (not out) 27 (10b, 1x4, 3x6), Rovman Powell c Jitesh b Curran 11 (5b, 2x4),
Keshav Maharaj c Livingstone b Curran 1 (2b), Trent Boult (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (w3): 3; Total (for 7 wkts. in 19.5 overs): 152.
FALL OF WICKETS
156 (Kotian, 8.2), 282 (Jaiswal, 11.4), 389 (Samson, 13.2), 4113 (Parag, 16.4), 5115 (Jurel, 17.2), 6136 (Powell, 18.3), 7138 (Maharaj, 18.6).
PUNJAB KINGS BOWLING
Arshdeep 3.50451, Rabada 40182, Curran 40252, Livingstone 30211, Harshal 20211, Harpreet Brar 30220. Toss: Royals. PoM: Hetmyer.
RR won by three wickets with one ball to spare. the equation down to 12 off 10 balls. But Curran had Powell caught behind off a short ball and Maharaj holed out to long on in the last ball of that over.