Punjab Kings (PBKS) bottled another game in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they failed to chase down 10 runs required off the last 15 balls and four runs of the final over as Rajasthan Royals (RR) pacer Kartik Tyagi gave away just one run in the last over to script a miraculous win for his side.
It wasn't even a collapse, it wasn't like Punjab Kings needed 25 runs off the last two overs but still, somehow, the Kings managed to lose the game. PBKS were cruising the game in the second half for the majority of it, like 18 overs of it as they required runs off the last two overs. But, it came down to the last over, it came down to the last ball and the Royals pulled one out of the hat.
Punjab had the momentum at the innings break as they had taken six wickets in the last four overs giving away just 21 runs owing to some sensational death bowling by Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh, the latter went on to pick up a fifer.
Skipper KL Rahul was helped by the Royals terrible fielding effort as he was dropped thrice on 2, 29 and 31 as went on to play an innings of 49 runs, but it was Mayank Agarwal, who after scratchy first 15 balls just took over from the former and blasted the Royals attack.
After being 15 off 18 balls, Mayank brought up his half-century off just 34 balls as the men in red had started to dictate the terms after they accumulated 25 runs off Chris Morris' over. Rahul and Mayank fell in quick succession but both Nicholas Pooran and debutant Aiden Markram kept their side on course for the victory with some balls to spare, with a boundary here, with a six there.
But eventually, it all fell apart as with eight wickets in hand and four needed off the last over, they failed to chase also because Kartik Tyagi was nailing his yorkers, left, right and centre.
0, 1, W, 0, W, 0 - that was the final over and Tyagi had made a name for himself with one of the best last over ever bowled in the IPL.
With this victory, the Royals went up to fifth spot and now are levelled with Mumbai Indians on points are just behind them on NRR.
