(Cricket news) Rajasthan Royals secured a dramatic last ball victory by 2 runs against Punjab Kings. KL Rahul had elected to bowl first after winning the toss. RR set a stiff target of 186 and PBKS looked comfortable in their run chase but bottled it in the end as they failed to score 8 runs from the last 2 overs.
Youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mahipal Lomror anchored the RR innings scoring 49 and 43 runs respectively. Left arm seamer Arshdeep Singh led the PBKS bowling attack as he picked up a fifer. Evin Lewis who was signed as a replacement for Jos Buttler played his first game of the campaign and scored a quickfire 35 which is a good sign for the team and the player as well. Mohammed Shami's 3/21 was very crucial in the game as he picked up wickets up front as well as in the death.
Chasing 186, PBKS did what they have done in the last few years. Openers Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul once again put together a 100-run partnership. The two openers have carried the PBKS batting line-up for a while now, after their dismissals is when things start going downhill. After Chetan Sakariya got the wicket of KL Rahul and Rahul Tewatia picked up Mayank Agarwal's wicket, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran looked like they would finish the job but Rajasthan bowlers had other plans.
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After 18 overs PBKS required just 8 runs in 12 bowls with 8 wickets in hand. Mustafizur Rahman gave away just 4 runs in the 19th over as the equation came to 4 off 6 balls. Karthik Tyagi bowled a stellar final over in which he took 2 wickets and gave away just 1 run as Rajasthan Royals claimed a thrilling victory.
The win is a huge boost for RR as they reclaim their 5th spot on the table. As for PBKS the same old problems with the middle order persists. Markram and Pooran didn't bat poorly as such but they choked under the pressure of some quality bowling by Tyagi and Mustafizur. PBKS could drop to the last spot if they lose their next game
RR's next game is against the Delhi Capitals on 25 September while PBKS play an almost do or die match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
