Chahal, Jaiswal get RR back to winning ways

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the fifty-second game of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL). The match was played in the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Yashasvi Jaiswal was adjudged to be the Man of the Match.

Boult has mixed day

Trent Boult opened the bowling with a swinging delivery, but it was on the pads and Jonny Bairstow flicked it through midwicket for four. Boult shifted to around the wicket three balls later, but went down the leg side once more. Bairstow assisted it in getting over short fine leg for a new boundary. Boult made a great return in his second over, delivering a maiden to Shikhar Dhawan, but he was dismissed for 18 in his third over, with Bairstow and Dhawan hitting him for two fours and a six.

Bairstow and Rajapaksa continue their assault

In the penultimate over of the powerplay, Ravichandran Ashwin sent back Dhawan, with Jos Buttler back-pedaling at mid-on, leaping high, and scooping the ball out of the air with his right hand. However, Bairstow and Bhanuka Rajapaksa persisted in their assault. Rajapaksa hammered Yuzvendra Chahal for six off his third ball. He sent Kuldeep Sen over long-on two overs later before smashing Prasidh Krishna for back-to-back fours. Bairstow, too, hit the boundary at regular intervals, and the two combined to get the team to 88 for 1 after ten overs.

Chahal retaliates

The Kings had the lowest scoring rate (6.80) against spin among the ten teams in the tournament coming into this game. Once again, spin was their Achilles' heel. Rajapaksa took a stride out to Chahal and was bowled. Bairstow reached his season-best half-century off 34 balls, but Chahal returned to dismiss Mayank Agarwal and Bairstow in the same over. After 15 overs, the Kings were 122 for 4 with two fresh hitters at the crease.

Livingstone and Sharma finish impressively

It appeared that the Royals would limit the Kings to 175 runs, but Jitesh Sharma grabbed over and smashed Krishna for two consecutive fours before slamming Chahal for a six. After striking Krishna for a six and a four in the space of three balls, Liam Livingstone was on 12 off ten balls. The innings was cut short, though, as he went too far over to a full and straight delivery and was bowled. Sharma smashed Sen for 6, 4, 4 off successive balls in the penultimate over to seal a solid finish.

Royals off to fast start

Although the aim looked imposing, the Royals got off to a flying start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal hitting Sandeep Sharma for two fours and a six in the first over. Buttler ripped Kagiso Rabada apart in the fourth over, slamming him for three fours and a six. The bowler, on the other hand, got the last laugh. Buttler stepped over to lap Rabada over short fine leg on the last ball of the over, but it was bowled full at his feet. Buttler altered his mind when he realized the ball wasn't there for the shot and tried to help it over short third man, but he couldn't clear the fielder.

For a little moment, it appeared that the Kings could relax, but Sanju Samson had gathered four fours in the first seven balls he faced, thanks to a combination of power, timing, and luck. The Royals were 85 for 1 at the end of eight overs.

Padikkal's problems compensated for by Jaiswal and Hetmyer

When Samson skied one to cover-point, Rishi Dhawan sent him back for 23 off 12 balls. Devdutt Padikkal, batting at No. 4, got stuck in first gear, but Jaiswal's strokeplay kept the Royals in the game.

Jaiswal took three fours in one Dhawan over with 77 needed from eight overs. He used the reverse sweep to get another boundary against Rahul Chahar. He holed out to long-on off Arshdeep Singh in the 15th over after the seamer had only conceded three runs, but Shimron Hetmyer pulled Singh for two leg-side fours in his next over to reduce the asking rate.

Padikkal hit two fours in the 18th over, bowled by Rabada, with a Hetmyer six sandwiched in between. With 16 runs on the board, the equation was reduced to 11 from 12 balls. Singh only gave up three this time and dismissed Padikkal, but the equation favored the Royals.

Chahar began the last over with a wide down the leg side, needing eight runs. The next ball was lofted over long-on by Hetmyer, tying the game. He drove home the winning run with a full toss to long-on two balls later.