Chasing 196-run target, Rajasthan Royals lost wickets at regular intervals against Kings XI Punjab. Ashok Menaria top-scored for the Royals as he hit a six and two fours in his 26-ball 34 innings.
Ryan McLaren dismissed Stuart Binny in the thirteenth over after Binny revived the Royals run-chase with Ashok Menaria. Binny and Menaria added valuable 50-run for the fifth wicket in just 30 balls. Binny hit a six and two fours in his 24-ball innings.
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla trapped Ross Taylor LBW for naught in the eighth over to reduce Royals to 49/4. Pacer Praveen Kumar struck in the previous over to get rid of dangerous Shane Watson (24).
Watson hit four boundaries in his quick 16-ball knock but failed to hold the faltering Royals innings.
Royals lost Swapnil Asnodkar (9) and Rahul Dravid (8) early and in quick succession. Praveen scalped Asnodkar in the third over after Ryan Harris gave Punjab an early breakthrough in the previous over.
Put in to bat, Shaun Marsh (71) and Paul Valthaty (46) helped Kings XI Punjab post massive 195/7 against Rajasthan Royals.
Punjab were set to cross 200-run mark before Shaun Tait (3-22) and Shane Watson (2-24) led Royals fight back in the end to stop them after the hosts raced to 169/2 in 15 overs.
Punjab managed to score just 26 runs in last five overs, scoring only two boundaries during the period.
Marsh led the Punjab charge after openers gave them terrific start as he slammed three huge sixes off Warne's single over to raced to his fifty in just 29 balls. Marsh also hit six fours in his 42-ball blitzkrieg.
Kings XI lost Dinesh Karthik (21) in the sixteenth over, which started their final overs misery, after he added valuable 70-run third wicket stand with Marsh.
In-form Paul Valthaty (46) failed to hit another half-century after giving his team a flying start against Rajasthan.
Royals skipper Shane Warne dismissed Valthaty in the tenth over and checked the Punjab’s marauding march. Valthaty smashed three huge sixes and four boundaries in his quick-fire 31-ball innings.
Punjab lost their captain Adam Gilchrist (28) in the fifth over after he added a rapid 67-run opening partnership with new batting sensation Valthaty.
Gilchrist slammed a six and four boundaries in his 16-ball cameo as Kings XI raced to fifty in just 2.5 overs, which is the fastest in the IPL history so far.
Shane Watson gave Royals first breakthrough when he scalped Gilchrist wicket.
Punjab’s innings started dramatically as no balls saved both openers early after Siddharth Trivedi clean bowled Gilchrist in the first over and Valthaty was caught at third slip off Shaun Tait in the next over.
Earlier, Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne won the toss and decided to field against Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment