Mumbai: Shimron Hetmyer’s impeccable 59*(36) guided Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a competitive total of 165-6 as Yuzvendra Chahal shined with a four-wicket haul as RR successfully defended the target against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Rajasthan Royals made two changes – Kuldeep Sen and Rassie van der Dussen were named in the eleven. Openers Jos Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal got off to a solid start with 27-0 after 3 overs. Avesh Khan got Buttler’s wicket on his first delivery after the right-handed opener was bowled. RR were 44-1 at the end of the powerplay.
Jason Holder dismissed the RR skipper. LSG pulled things back brilliantly with the ball after Gowtham scalped two wickets in the next over. While set batter Padikkal was caught by Holder at slips, Rassie van der Dussen’s stumps were cleaned up by the spinner.
The pair of Ravi Ashwin and Shimron Hetmyer built a steady partnership for the fifth wicket. Ashwin switched gears and hit consecutive sixes to bag 16 runs. RR were 108-4 with four overs remaining in the innings as the fifty partnership came up.
Hetmyer hammered two sixes and a four taking RR to a strong position. The penultimate over produced 16 runs as Hetmyer reached his fifty. While Holder scalped Riyan Parag’s wicket, Hetmyer whacked two more sixes to post RR with 165/6 at the end of the innings.
Chasing a target of 166, Lucknow Super Giants lost the skipper KL Rahul and Krishnappa Gowtham. Prasidh Krishna claimed the third wicket after Jason Holder was caught at mid-on and LSG were 31-3 at the end of six overs.
LSG opener Quinton de Kock hit the first six and was joined by Deepak Hooda. Hooda hit three fours to ease off the pressure. The right-handed batter was cleaned up in the by Kuldeep Sen. Chahal dismissed Ayush Badoni. The leg-spinner struck twice more by dismissing de Kock and Krunal Pandya as LSG were 7 down.
Chahal claimed his 150th IPL wicket after Chameera was trapped LBW in the 18th over.
LSG required 34 runs from the final two overs as Marcus Stoinis single-handedly changed the course of the match. Smashing 19 runs in the penultimate over, with one four and 2 sixes. Debutant Kuldeep Sen, successfully managed to defend 15 runs as LSG fell 4 runs short of the target.
Brief Scores: Rajasthan Royals 165-6 (Shimron Hetmyer 59*, Devdutt Padikkal 29; Krishnappa Gowtham 2-30) beat Lucknow Super Giants 162-8 (Quinton de Kock 39, Marcus Stoinis 38*; Yuzvendra Chahal 4-41) by 3 runs.
The Delhi Capitals (DC) posted a mammoth total of 215-5, thanks to attacking fifties at the top from Prithvi Shaw and David Warner, before Kuldeep Yadav’s superb 4-wicket haul secured a resounding victory against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Prithvi Shaw kicked off the innings in style with three fours as DC raced to 34/0 in the first three overs. Shaw notched his second consecutive half-century of the season off just 27 deliveries. Skipper Rishabh Pant began his innings with two fours and a six, 24 runs came off. Warner, on the other hand, reached his first fifty of the season with a six.
KKR claimed two quick wickets after Narine dismissed Lalit Yadav and Rovman Powell as DC were 162/4 with four overs to go. Umesh Yadav brought an end to Warner’s knock of 61. Shardul Thakur and Axar Patel provided the perfect finish to the innings. Thakur wrapped the innings with a six on the final delivery as DC posted 215/5 in the first innings.
Chasing a huge target of 216, KKR openers got to a shaky start after Rahane survived twice in the first over. Khaleel Ahmed scalped two wickets after Venkatesh was caught by Axar Patel and Rahane was out to a fine running catch by Shardul Thakur. KKR were 43-2 at the end of 6 overs as skipper Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana had a tough task ahead of themselves.
Khaleel Ahmed claimed his third wicket after Billings was dismissed. Three wickets fell in the 16th over, bowled by Kuldeep Yadav, who dismissed Cummins, Narine and Umesh Yadav. KKR were 8 down and required 57 off the final two overs. Thakur wrapped up the innings by scalping the remaining two wickets of Andre Russell and Rasikh Salam in the final over.
Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 215-5 (David Warner 61, Prithvi Shaw 51; Sunil Narine 2-21) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 171 all out (Shreyas Iyer 54, Nitish Rana 30; Kuldeep Yadav 4-35) by 44 runs.
