Mumbai: Sanju Samson (119, 63b, 12×4, 7×6) almost won the game for Rajasthan Royals before getting out on the final ball of their innings to end up on the losing side as Punjab Kings sealed a 4-run win in their IPL encounter, Monday.
KL Rahul (91, 50b, 7×4, 5×6) and Deepak Hooda (64, 28b, 4×4, 6×6) pummelled the Royals bowlers into submission with their sensational stroke play, propelling Punjab to an imposing 221/6.
In response, Royals skipper Samson kept his side in the game until the very last ball of their innings. With five required off two deliveries, he denied to take a single in the penultimate ball before being dismissed on the final ball. Arshdeep Singh (3/35) was the bowler who was supposed to defend 12 runs in six balls and he did it exceedingly well.
Royals were off to a poor start losing both their openers, including Ben Stokes in the first over, as they were reduced to 25/2 in 3.2 overs. However, Samson held one side of the end and got support from Jos Buttler (25), Shivam Dube (23) and Riyan Parag (25).
Samson added 45 runs with Buttler, 53 with Dube and 52 with Parag to keep Royals in the game. However, Punjab had the last laugh.
Earlier put into bat, Punjab lost opener Mayank Agarwal (14) early, who edged it back to Royals captain and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson for IPL debutant Chetan Sakariya’s (3/31) first wicket. He ended being the pick of the bowlers, conceding only five runs in the 20th over.
Rahul, who got his first four with a glance to the fine-leg fence, and Chris Gayle (40, 28b, 4×4, 2×6) gave the team a good start with their 67-run stand.
Rahul got a ‘life’ after Ben Stokes dropped him at the fence in the seventh over even as Gayle, looked in his elements. The duo then took on Stokes, as Gayle hit his 350th IPL six, a pull over deep square in the 8th over with Punjab racing to 70 for one.
Gayle was dropped by leggie Rahul Tewatia (0/25) off his own bowling and the very next ball, the left-hander smashed a six. However, in the 10th over, Riyan Parag (1/7) removed Gayle, who was holed out to Stokes in the deep.
Rahul then changed gears and got to his fifty with a six over Shivam Dube’s (0/20) head in the 13th over. Hooda then smashed two maximums in the same over and then struck three sixes off Shreyas Gopal (0/40) in the next as Punjab went ballistic.
It was Rahul and Hooda’s show at the Wankhede that made the difference to their total as the duo tore into the opposition attack on way to their 105-run stand. Courtesy their monstrous hitting, Punjab added 111 runs in the final eight overs.
Brief scores: Punjab Kings 221/6 (KL Rahul 91, Deepak Hooda 64, Chris Gayle 40; Chetan Sakariya 3/31) beat Rajasthan Royals 217/7 (Sanju Samson 119; Arshdeep Singh 3/35, Mohammed Shami 2/33) by 4 runs.
