Punjab Kings defeat Rajasthan Royals by 10-runs

Punjab Kings survived a torrid opening stand from Rajasthan Royals to defend their total of 219-5 and win by 10-runs in their IPL match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday afternoon.

Punjab recovered from 34-3 to post a highly competitive total before left handers Yashasvi Jaiswal and 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed an astonishing opening 76 runs from just 4.4 overs to lay the foundation for might have been a much closer run-chase.

Jaiswal’s 50 came from just 25 balls with nine fours and a six while Suryavanshi was even more devastating with 40 from only 15 balls with four fours and four sixes.

But left arm spinner Harpreet Brar (3-22) had both men caught at long off before adding the wicket of Riyan Parag and suddenly the already eliminated Royals required 30 from the final two overs.

Left arm swing bowler Arshdeep Singh, whose first three overs cost an eye-watering 52 runs, delivered an excellent fourth – the 19th of the innings – to concede just eight runs leaving Marco Jansen (3-0-41-2) to defend 22 off the last. He had Dhruv Jurel (53) and Wanindu Hasaranga both caught at deep cover with consecutive deliveries and the Royals subsided to 209-7.

Earlier Punjab were indebted to 24-year-old left-hander Nehal Wadhera for their recovery with a brave and unrelenting counter-attack which yielded 70 from just 37 balls (5x4, 5x6) while captain Shreyas Iyer added 30 from 25 leaving Shashank Singh to smash an unbeaten 59 from 30 balls wih five fours and three maximums.

Kwena Maphaka took the place of England fast bowler Jofra Archer for the game and was not alone in suffering on a perfect batting pitch claiming 1-32 in his three overs for the Royals.

The result moved the Kings into joint first place on the log with 17 points from their 12 games, behind the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on net run-rate although both are now virtually assured of a place in the Play-Offs.

PUNJAB KINGS: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wkt), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Mitchell Owen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

RAJASTHAN ROYALS: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Sanju Samson (captain/wkt), Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kwena Maphaka, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Madhwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi