Shimron Hetmyer’s unbeaten knock of 59 and Yuzvendra Chahal 4 wickets for 41 helps to Rajasthan Royals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by three runs in an Indian Premier League match on Sunday. With this Win Rajasthan Royals go top of the table, displacing KKR who suffered a loss earlier in the day.
LSG were on the backfoot after losing six wickets inside 16 overs and Marcus Stoinis tried his best to take LSG over the line but Kuldeep Sen delivered a fantastic last over and he defended 15 runs in the final six balls.
LSG had lost skipper KL Rahul first ball as he was bowled through the gate by Trent Boult and in the same over, the left-arm seamer removed K Gowtham to give Rajasthan Royals an ideal start.
Prasidh Krishna soon removed Jason Holder and LSG lost three wickets inside the powerplay. In the end, Chahal returned with four wickets while Boult took two.
However End of 2nd innings, LSG needed 34 from last two overs, Royals predictably went to the senior bowler Krishana first to hopefully leave the youngster some cushion.
Apart from a ramp for four, Stoinis’ other two sixes in the over came off missed yorkers. It was a little surprising that he would abandon his favoured length for yorkers, especially with a wet ball.
Sen’s lengths in the final over were in the slot, but he stayed wide of Stoinis’ reach. Stoinis tried one ramp and two hits down the ground, but couldn’t find the boundary.
Earlier, Electing to bowl, LSG produced a fine bowling effort before Shimron Hetmyer struck a fluent fifty to help RR post 165 for six.
Hetmyer remained unbeaten on 59 off 36 balls to take RR to the total after they were at 67 for four at one stage.
“It was a little difficult to start… A bit slower, and stayed on the slower side. Bouncing and spinning just a tad bit. I know what Holder does, and he knows what I do as well! I literally have no idea about that retire-out decision from Ashwin! It was a good decision in the end. We are in with a very good chance. The ball isn’t coming on well.” Hetmyer said after first innings
Rajasthan Royals got off to a positive start with openers Jos Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal scoring runs at a brisk pace.
Avesh Khan was introduced into the attack and he cleaned up Buttler for 13 as Rajasthan Royals lost their first wicket for 42 in 5.1 overs. Captain Sanju Samson walked in to bat with Padikkal to take his team’s total beyond the 50-run mark.
Jason Holder dismissed Rajasthan skipper Samson’s leg before wicket for 13 to leave his team at 60/2. In the next over, Krishnappa Gowtham struck a double blow to Rajasthan Royals dismissing Padikkal for 29 and then Rassie Van der Dussen for 4 to leave Rajasthan Royals tottering at 67/4.
Shimron Hetmyer and Ravichandran Ashwin then struck a much-needed partnership for Rajasthan Royals and took the team’s total beyond the 100-run mark in the 16th over. The duo also went on to score a 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
In the 18th over Ashwin was retired out for 28. Hetmyer also notched up his half-century in just 33 balls and also took the team’s total beyond the 150-run
mark.
Riyan Parag was dimissed in the last over for 8 by Holder as Rajasthan Royals scored 16 runs in the last over to post 165/6 in 20 overs.
Krishnappa Gowtham (2/30) and Jason Holder (2/50) shared four wickets between them for LSG. Chasing the total, RR restricted LSG to 162 for eight.
Brief Scores:
Rajasthan Royals: 165 for 6 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 59 not out; Krishnappa Gowtham 2/30).
Lucknow Super Giants: 162 for 8 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 39, Marcus Stoinis 38 not out; Yuzvendra Chahal 4/41).