Given what happened in IPL 2024 before Saturday, the target of 148 should pose no threat. Especially when the team was chasing in-form Rajasthan Royals (RR) and defending the team was a struggle for Punjab Kings (PBKS). However, a tricky pitch at the stadium in Mullanpur along with a good bowling performance from PBKS had some confusing moments for RR in their run chase.
In the end, RR reached the target with three wickets in hand and just one ball to spare, meaning they occupy the top spot with five wins from six matches. The hosts were restricted to 147/8 after an all-round bowling effort by RR – Avesh Khan and Kesava Maharaja With two wickets apiece, Trent Boult, Kuldeep Sen and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up a scalp each – it was Yassavi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmeyer Played crucial knocks to take Rajasthan to victory in a tense chase.
While Jaiswal returned to form at the top of the order with 39 off 28 balls, Hetmeier showed his finishing prowess in the final over of the game. With RR needing 10 runs off the last six balls, Punjab's Arshdeep Singh started by hitting a yorker twice in a row for the dot balls. When Arshdeep narrowly missed the third ball, Hetmyer managed to hit a six to relieve all the pressure. Two balls later, Hetmyer finished the game in style by hitting a rank full toss over the fine leg boundary for a six. His unbeaten 27 off 10 balls earned him the Man of the Match award. Arshdeep was known for bowling yorkers in the death overs but faltered in his execution against the big-hitting West Indies when the pressure was on.
Hetmeier didn't seem to need it when Jaiswal was on song at the start of the innings. Jaiswal, who was used as an impact player in this game, put together an opening stand of 56 runs with Tanush Kotyan, who was brought in for off-spinner R Ashwin and opened in Jos Buttler's absence. Both Ashwin and Buttler were nursing.
Had Kagiso Rabada not dismissed Jaiswal and Sanju Samson in consecutive overs, RR might have had a more straightforward chase. Ryan Parag, who has been in excellent form this season, couldn't see it through on Saturday, getting out after a brilliant catch by Rabada at deep midwicket off Arshdeep for 23 off 18 balls. Then Hetmeyer had to come to the party and he did not disappoint.
Punjab suffered a blow even before the ball was bowled as skipper Shikhar Dhawan was unavailable, resulting in Sam Curran taking charge. Just like in the previous matches, Punjab's top order was once again let down as they were reeling at 52/4 in 9.3 overs. Jonny Bairstow's medium run is a particular cause for concern. He took 19 balls for 15 before giving left-arm spinner Maharaj his maiden IPL wicket. Punjab's final total was respectable thanks to the efforts of Jitesh Sharma (29 off 24 balls), Liam Livingstone (21 off 14 balls) and Ashutosh Sharma.
After impressing in the earlier matches, Ashutosh again stepped up with a late 31 (16 balls) – his innings included three sixes and a four – to take the hosts close to the 150-run mark. 72 runs from the last six overs allowed Punjab to go into the second innings with optimism. For RR, Maharaj and Avesh were the pick of the bowlers.