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Rajasthan vs Kings XI Punjab Live Commentary, Match 4, Indian Premier League, 2019, March 25, 2019

KXIP 184/4 (20)
Kings XI Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals by 14 runs
RR 170/9 (20)
Match over
Kings XI Punjab Inning Rajasthan Royals Inning
0.0 : Chennai done, Kolkata done, Mumbai done and now it's time for Jaipur to host its first game of the Indian T20 League 2019. Tonight both Rajashtan and Punjab kick off their campaign at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. This has been the fortress for Rajasthan and they will like to start their season with a win. Punjab, on the other hand, will like to send a message straightaway to the rest of the teams with a win at Rajasthan's den. Who will come out on top? Stay tuned as the action is not far away.
Michael Clarke doing the pitch report starts by saying the wicket seems a little dry and it could be a touch slow. He reckons it still should be good to bat on. Mentions Archer could be the differential factor due to his pace, especially at the death.
Toss - Rajasthan win the toss and elect to field!
Rajasthan skipper, Ajinkya Rahane says it looks a pretty good wicket and he wants to bowl first. Mentions the conditions suit them well and hence, they have a good record at home. Further adds he wants to start well. Informs Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Steven Smith and Jofra Archer are the four foreigners.
Punjab skipper, Ravichandran Ashwin says that they would have bowled first as well but feels that the pitch won't change much. Adds that they don't have any baggage of the past, it's a new team and they are hopeful of a positive start. Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Sam Curran and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are the overseas players for Punjab, informs Ashwin.
We are all set to get underway! The Rajasthan players make their way out to the middle. They are followed by the Punjab openers, the powerful Chris Gayle and the classy KL Rahul. The right-hander will be on strike and he will be facing Dhawal Kulkarni who has the new ball in his hands. He will look for some swing. Will he get some? We will know as he runs in...
0.1 : D Kulkarni to L Rahul, A hint of movement on the first ball, it however, stays low. It is on a length and around off, shapes away. Rahul looks to defend it off the back foot but it goes off the bottom half of his bat towards first slip. Smith there makes a good stop diving to his right.
0.2 : D Kulkarni to L Rahul, FOUR! Off the mark in style! What a shot that was! Not a bad delivery that. Full and around off, Rahul leans into the stroke and just pushes it through covers. It is in the gap and you need not run for those.
0.3 : D Kulkarni to L Rahul, Bowls it wide again does Kulkarni, wanting Rahul to go for another shot away from his body. This time though he resists and lets it be.
0.4 : D Kulkarni to L Rahul, OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN! What a catch from Buttler and this is a body blow to the visitors. Kulkarni sticks to the line outside off, it is once again on a length. Rahul this time is drawn into the stroke. However, it is only a tentative poke. The ball moves away a bit, takes the outside edge and goes low towards the right of Buttler who dives and grabs it with one hand. That just about sticks in the webbing. Rajasthan are pumped up, just the start they would have wanted.
Mayank Agarwal is the new batsman.
0.5 : D Kulkarni to M Agarwal, Down the leg side and Agarwal goes for the flick but misses. It has been wided.
D Kulkarni to M Agarwal, Agarwal is off the mark! Length and outside off, MA guides it down to third man and gets to the other end.
0.6 : D Kulkarni to C Gayle, A dot to end a successful first for Rajasthan. On the pads, Gayle stays low and works it to square leg.
Krishnappa Gowtham to bowl from the other end.
1.1 : K Gowtham to M Agarwal, Flatter and outside off, Agarwal plants his front foot forward and strokes it to covers.
1.2 : K Gowtham to M Agarwal, SIX! All the way! First of the game! Gowtham this time is guilty of bowling it too full. Agarwal reaches out for it and just lofts it over the long off fence.
1.3 : K Gowtham to M Agarwal, Now does the right thing by working it through mid-wicket for a single. Sensible batting.
1.4 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, Fires it on off, Gayle watchfully guides it to point.
1.5 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, This one is angled into the batsman, Gayle works it through mid on and gets to the other end. The big man is off the mark.
1.6 : K Gowtham to M Agarwal, A little turn there! This is fired on off and it comes back in. Agarwal lunges forward and defends it onto the ground.
2.1 : D Kulkarni to C Gayle, Fuller in length and around leg, Gayle tries to flick but misses. He is hit on the pads, a stifled appeal from Kulkarni follows but nothing from the umpire. Easily going down.
2.2 : D Kulkarni to C Gayle, Beaten! Kulkarni foxes Gayle with a cutter around off at 111.4 kph. It moves away slowly after landing on a length, Chris pushes inside the line and misses.
2.3 : D Kulkarni to C Gayle, Pitches it up and outside off, once again slower in pace, Gayle reaches out and pushes it to covers. Three dots!
2.4 : D Kulkarni to C Gayle, FOUR! First boundary from Gayle's bat! He once again reaches out for a length ball outside off and this time crunches his drive through the gap at cover-point.
Mid on drops back.
2.5 : D Kulkarni to C Gayle, Wide called for height! Kulkarni changes his length this time and bangs it in short. Gayle ducks and it goes well above his head.
D Kulkarni to C Gayle, 4000 Indian T20 League runs for Gayle, the fastest to reach this landmark! Slower one, full and on off, Gayle bunts it to mid off and rushes across to the other end. You won't see him steal runs with such quickness often.
2.6 : D Kulkarni to M Agarwal, Shortish and on off, Mayank leans back and steers it down to third man for a run. 7 from the over, 21 in first 3.
Jofra Archer is on now.
3.1 : J Archer to M Agarwal, Wrong line to begin with, he though gets away. On the pads, Agarwal flicks it but finds mid-wicket.
3.2 : J Archer to M Agarwal, Shortens his length and also corrects his line, it is on off. Agarwal guides it to point.
3.3 : J Archer to M Agarwal, Mix-up but safe! Agarwal strokes it wide of mid off and he is off. Gayle though is not interested and he sends him back. Agarwal turns and makes it back in with ease. There was a run available there but Gayle thinks different.
3.4 : J Archer to M Agarwal, Four dots in a row as Agarwal once again guides it to the man at point.
Third man comes into the circle. Fine leg goes back. Time for a short ball?
3.5 : J Archer to M Agarwal, It is short but does not bounce as much as Archer wanted it to. Mayank defends it onto the ground. 5 dots now, a maiden?
3.6 : J Archer to M Agarwal, Nope a single from the last ball. A lovely start though for Archer. Agarwal pushes this towards mid on and this time calls for a run. Gayle obliges and they complete it.
Ben Stokes into the attack now.
4.1 : Ben Stokes to M Agarwal, FOUR! Stokes is greeted with a boundary! He provides width to the batsman and Agarwal smashes it square of the wicket on the off side for a cracking boundary. He is a quality batsman and has been in amazing form.
4.2 : Ben Stokes to M Agarwal, Once again there is room on offer outside off at 141 kph, Mayank tries to repeat the last shot but finds the fielder at point on this occasion.
4.3 : Ben Stokes to M Agarwal, Nearly a catch! Great change in pace from Ben. He bowls a full length ball around off at 113.5 kph, it's angled in and Agarwal is early into his attempted flick shot. Ends up chipping it towards mid on and the fielder there fails to reach in time. He ran a bit around it rather than going for it straightaway. They pick up a single.
4.4 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, Top stop, Krishnappa Gowtham. Sharp delivery, full and on the pads at 147.1 kph, Gayle flicks it through mid-wicket and it races away. Gowtham in the deep also races across to his right and puts in a dive to stop the ball. Saves two.
4.5 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, Wide! Too wide outside off, Gayle allows it through.
Ben Stokes to C Gayle, Back of a length ball around off, a mistimed pull shot back to the bowler.
4.6 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, Once again throws his bat at a length ball around off and gets it away off the inside edge. It goes past the stumps towards short fine leg and they cross for a run.
5.1 : J Archer to C Gayle, Lovely yorker! Right on the leg pole. Gayle does really well to get his bat down and jam it out to mid-wicket.
5.2 : J Archer to C Gayle, Good bowling again! Sees Gayle make room so follows him. CG can't free his arms and he can only hit it to mid on.
5.3 : J Archer to C Gayle, Seems like the off cutter on off, Gayle looks to flat-bat it but mistimes it towards mid off. The batsmen take a run.
5.4 : J Archer to M Agarwal, Brilliant bowling this! Changing his length on almost every delivery. This one is short and outside off. Mayank looks to cut but is beaten.
5.5 : J Archer to M Agarwal, Now the slower one, this sticks into the surface. Mayank goes back and defends it onto the ground.
5.6 : J Archer to M Agarwal, Another dot to end! So again just a single from Archer's over. He has gone for just 2 in his 2 overs. Length and this one jags back in. Mayank looks to defend but ends up chopping it behind the stumps. End of the Powerplay and it belongs to Rajasthan as Punjab are 32 for 1.
Krishnappa Gowtham is back.
6.1 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, Full and flighted outside off, driven firmly to covers where the fielder made a fine diving stop.
6.2 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, Short this time on off, Gayle punches it off his back foot to wide long off and scampers back for the second run.
6.3 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, Goes on the back foot again and strokes it down to long off, only a run this time.
6.4 : K Gowtham to M Agarwal, Full and flighted on off, Mayank is down on one knee and slogs it over mid-wicket for one. They are not getting boundaries.
6.5 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, Skidding back into the batsman from around off, Gayle turns it off his pads behind square leg for one.
6.6 : K Gowtham to M Agarwal, Misses out! Plenty of width available there outside off, the length is also a bit short, Agarwal reaches out for it but cuts it straight to point. Only 5 from the over, Punjab are finding it tough to get going.
Jaydev Unadkat is into the attack now.
7.1 : J Unadkat to C Gayle, FOUR! Finesse! Unadkat starts off with a seam-up delivery and it is outside off. Gayle plays it late and guides it fine on the off side. Not sure he wanted to get it that fine but he won't care as it races to the fence. Much-needed.
7.2 : J Unadkat to C Gayle, Fortunate runs! Good bowling that! The cutter on off. Gayle gets into position to hit it but is done in by the lack of pace. In the end he looks to work it around the corner but the ball goes off the top edge, over the keeper for a couple.
7.3 : J Unadkat to C Gayle, This time Gayle waits for the slower ball and then slaps it through covers for a run.
7.4 : J Unadkat to M Agarwal, SIX! Top shot! Second maximum of the game and both have come off the bat of Agarwal. Also, the 50 is up and this is turning out to be a top over for Punjab. Length and around off, Agarwal spots that mid off is in the ring. He lofts it over that fielder. The timing is such that it carries all the way.
7.5 : J Unadkat to M Agarwal, A dot now! Angles this into the off pole, Agarwal guides it to point.
7.6 : J Unadkat to M Agarwal, Two dots to end but a good and a much-needed over for Punjab. 13 from it. Length and on middle, this one straightens a touch. Mayank does well to defend it to covers. Expensive start from Unadkat.
8.1 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, SIX! Gayle getting into the act now! A flatter delivery, landing full and skidding into the left-hander, Gayle kneels and smokes it deep into the stand at mid-wicket. 50-run stand comes up!
8.2 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, Fires this one in, full and on middle at 97 kph, Gayle blocks it to covers.
8.3 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, Another one fired in, around leg at over 100 kph, Gayle fails to flick and it goes behind off his pads. What are we seeing here? Gayle scampers back for the second run. It's been given as leg byes though.
8.4 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, Wide! Gowtham keeps firing it in down the leg side, Gayle tries to put bat on ball but misses.
K Gowtham to C Gayle, Quicker one on the pads, Gayle once again misses out on the flick shot and it deflects behind off his pads. A leg bye stolen.
8.5 : K Gowtham to M Agarwal, OUT! A well-judged catch by Dhawal Kulkarni. Terrific effort! Gowtham strikes this time. He continues to fire it in and bowls it full around off at 94.5 kph. Mayank tries to go downtown and clear long off but fails to get enough distance. Kulkarni at the edge of the rope in the deep does well to grab it. He maintains his balance quite well there. The third umpire checks for the front foot no ball first and then the cleanliness of the catch, all well in the replays an
The first Time Out has been signaled! Rajasthan are just about ahead at the moment. Punjab though have done decently after they lost Rahul early, courtesy a 50-plus stand between Gayle and Agarwal. The latter has just been dismissed but Punjab will hope Gayle bats longer. The hosts, on the other hand, will look for a couple more quickly. In the meantime, Sarfaraz Khan comes out to bat.
8.6 : K Gowtham to S Khan, Strides forward to a full ball and drives it down to long off for a run. Sarfaraz is off the mark!
Dhawal Kulkarni is the new man in.
9.1 : D Kulkarni to S Khan, Good length and on off, Sarfaraz Khan stands tall and keeps it out.
9.2 : D Kulkarni to S Khan, This one is angled into the pads, Khan looks to flick but closes the face of the bat early. He gets a leading edge back to the bowler.
9.3 : D Kulkarni to S Khan, Stump-to-stump line again and Sarfaraz defends it onto the ground.
9.4 : D Kulkarni to S Khan, Nicely works it through mid-wicket but only for a single.
9.5 : D Kulkarni to C Gayle, Slower ball but it is a little too wide. Gayle lets it be and the umpire stretches his arms sideways. Tight call that.
D Kulkarni to C Gayle, Another slower ball and that just does not arrive! Gayle mistimes his pull through mid-wicket for a single.
9.6 : D Kulkarni to S Khan, FOUR! Spoils what was a top over till now! Smart batting this from Khan. He clears his front leg and Dhawal bowls it short. He knows third man is fine so upper cuts it to that fielder's right and the ball trickles into the boundary.
Ben Stokes is back on.
10.1 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, Short in length on middle, Gayle pulls it down to fine leg for a run.
10.2 : Ben Stokes to S Khan, Back of a length delivery on off, Khan goes on the back foot and cuts it straight to point.
10.3 : Ben Stokes to S Khan, A slower one, on a length just outside off, Sarfaraz waits for it on the back foot and then guides it down to third man for one.
10.4 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, Almost a stunner! But a FOUR! Stokes switches to 'round the wicket and slants in a shortish ball on leg, Gayle turns and pulls it in front of square leg. Samson in the deep puts in a valiant diving effort but fails to reach it. That would have been a ripper. A boundary in the end.
10.5 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, Spears in a full ball on middle, Gayle punches it down the ground and the initial call is two. But they have to satisfy with just a run.
10.6 : Ben Stokes to S Khan, Play and a miss. From over the wicket to the right-hander, Stokes serves a short and wide delivery outside off at 142.4 kph. Sarfaraz throws his bat at it but fails to connect. 7 from the over again.
Jaydev Unadkat is back on.
11.1 : J Unadkat to C Gayle, FOUR! Gayle has picked the bones out of that one. It is the slower one and Gayle picks it quickly. He smashes it past the bowler and into the fence.
11.2 : J Unadkat to C Gayle, FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries! Poor bowling to be honest. You bring your third man up and then bowl it short and wide outside off. Easy pickings. Gayle waits for it and then cuts it through point for a boundary.
11.3 : J Unadkat to C Gayle, FOUR! Three boundaries in a row! He has picked the gap to perfection. This is angled into the body of Gayle. He goes back and whips it between long on and deep mid-wicket.
Rahane has a chat with his bowler.
11.4 : J Unadkat to C Gayle, SIX! 4,4,4,6! 18 from the first 4 balls and Gayle brings up his 50 in style. A top innings on a low and slow wicket. Needs to stay there though. Once again this is right in the arc. Full and on middle, Gayle just lofts it over the bowler's head and it carries all the way.
11.5 : J Unadkat to C Gayle, A single now! Jaydev goes wide and outside off, Gayle hits it through covers and gets to the other end.
11.6 : J Unadkat to S Khan, A dot to end but 19 from the over! This is probably the momentum changing over. Length and around middle, Khan looks to flick but gets an inside edge onto his pads.
Krishnappa Gowtham to bowl his last over.
12.1 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, This is flatter and around off, Gayle pushes it through covers and gets to the other end.
12.2 : K Gowtham to S Khan, FOUR! Khan now gets into the act! What a shot! This is tossed up outside off. Sarfaraz leans into it and then caresses it through the cover region for a boundary.
12.3 : K Gowtham to S Khan, FOUR! Another over in which consecutive boundaries are scored. This is surely easing the pressure off Gayle too. Excellent sweep shot. It is in the gap in the mid-wicket region.
12.4 : K Gowtham to S Khan, Another sweep shot but straight to the fielder at deep square leg, only a single.
12.5 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, A huge shout by Gowtham but he is the only one doing so! This is fired on the pads. Gayle looks to sweep but misses to get hit on the pads.
12.6 : K Gowtham to C Gayle, A single and Gayle will keep strike. 11 from this one and 30 from the last 2. This is worked through mid-wicket for a run.
Jofra Archer is brought back into the attack. Rajasthan desperately want the wicket of Chris Gayle and have given the ball to their best bowler.
13.1 : J Archer to C Gayle, Very full and on leg stump, difficult for Gayle to get under it, he hits it through mid-wicket and a run is taken.
13.2 : J Archer to S Khan, Not clever this by Khan. He tries to be cheeky as he looks to paddle. Then sees the ball is outside off so tries to scoop it over third man. Misses.
13.3 : J Archer to S Khan, Good cricket! Does the right thing by playing an orthodox cricket stroke towards mid-wicket and giving the strike over to the big man.
13.4 : J Archer to C Gayle, SIX! That is why you should not do something fancy when Gayle is at the other end and just give the strike over to him. Especially when he is hitting them so well. The slower ball and Gayle latches onto it quickly. He hits it over the long on fence.
13.5 : J Archer to C Gayle, Goes back to bowling a yorker. Gayle works it through mid-wicket for a single.
13.6 : J Archer to S Khan, A short ball and on the body of Khan, he nudges it to fine leg and gets to the other end. Another productive over for Punjab. 10 from it.
Dhawal Kulkarni is back into the attack.
14.1 : D Kulkarni to S Khan, Short in length on off, Khan goes back and pulls it over mid-wicket for a single.
14.2 : D Kulkarni to C Gayle, Back of a length delivery outside off, Gayle hangs on the back foot and forces it down to long off for one.
14.3 : D Kulkarni to S Khan, Slower one from Kulkarni, on a length, Sarfaraz reaches out for it and drags it off the inner half to mid-wicket. Another run in the over.
14.4 : D Kulkarni to C Gayle, Too full in length on leg, Gayle knocks it down to long on and picks the fourth single in the over. This is great bowling by Dhawal.
14.5 : D Kulkarni to S Khan, Cheeky! Slower short ball on middle, Sarfaraz waits for it to arrive and then spoons it over the keeper for a couple of runs.
14.6 : D Kulkarni to S Khan, FOUR! Struck ferociously! Short in length and around off, Sarfaraz waits for it on the back foot and hammer-pulls it over mid-wicket for a boundary. Spoils a good over. Kulkarni bowls out, 4-0-30-1!
Ben Stokes is back on.
15.1 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, SIX! High and handsome! Welcome back into the attack Stokes. Full and on off, Gayle clears the front leg and lofts it over the long off fielder. Ideal start to the over this!
15.2 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, FOUR BYES! Keeps getting better for Punjab! A good delivery. A yorker on the pads. Gayle looks to move his legs out of the way and flick. It misses everything. Goes under the gloves of Buttler and into the fine leg fence.
15.3 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, FOUR! This is carnage here! Yes, this is off the edge but Punjab won't care. Full and wide outside off. Gayle swings but it goes off the outside edge. Over point and into the fence.
15.4 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, Pressure getting to Stokes here. He bowls it way too wide outside off and it is left alone. Wided.
Ben Stokes to C Gayle, FOUR! Another slower one and another boundary! He is now eyeing it like a football. On a length and around middle, Gayle smashes it back past the bowler and into the fence.
15.5 : Ben Stokes to C Gayle, OUT! Gayle holes out! He can't believe it as he had absolutely smoked that. Another excellent catch there. This time it is Rahul Tripathi. Stokes is the one who has the last laugh. He changes his length and bangs it short. Gayle though smashes it right off the middle, it is flat towards deep mid-wicket. Rahul there keeps his eyes on the rope behind and then reverse cups it. A really good catch as the ball was traveling. He does well not to lose his balance. Rajasthan
Time out! Rajasthan will be relieved to see the back of Chris Gayle and would like to build on that. They would hope to bowl well at the death. Punjab still have a few power-hitters in their ranks and still will be aiming for something close to 200. Nicholas Pooran has joined Sarfaraz in the middle.
15.6 : Ben Stokes to N Pooran, Angles this one into the batsman, Pooran looks to flick but it goes off the pads and towards mid-wicket. The batsmen take a leg bye. 20 from the over but the big wicket of Chris Gayle.
Shreyas Gopal to bowl.
16.1 : S Gopal to N Pooran, A flighted ball on middle, Pooran hits it down to long on and takes a run.
16.2 : S Gopal to S Khan, Slightly shorter in length, Khan first looks to sweep but then seeing the length he pulls it towards deep mid-wicket for a run.
16.3 : S Gopal to N Pooran, The slider on off, Pooran goes back and punches it to covers.
16.4 : S Gopal to N Pooran, A direct hit needed but not easy from so far out. Stokes misses. Pooran works it through mid-wicket and calls for two. They take one and go for the second. The fielder has a shy at the non-striker's end but misses. He instead hits Sarfaraz who is down on the ground.
The physio comes out. Khan is seen having a sip of water. He seems fine now.
16.5 : S Gopal to N Pooran, Short ball and Pooran fails to take toll of it. He pulls it hard but to deep mid-wicket. Only a run. 5 from the over so far, one ball to go.
16.6 : S Gopal to S Khan, A dot to end! Excellent over by Gopal! He bowls the quicker one outside off, Sarfaraz looks to cut but mistimes it to point.
Jofra Archer is back on.
17.1 : J Archer to N Pooran, Fine stop, Unadkat. A full ball on the pads, Pooran flicks it fine towards short fine leg where Jaydev dives and saves a certain boundary. Just a run taken.
17.2 : J Archer to S Khan, The batsman plays a pull shot to this short delivery. They manage to come back for the second.
17.3 : J Archer to S Khan, A full toss on off, punched straight to point and they ran for a run.
17.4 : J Archer to N Pooran, Digs in a short ball from 'round the wicket, following the batsman down the leg side, Pooran leaves it thinking that it's too high. Nothing from the square leg umpire.
17.5 : J Archer to N Pooran, Clever change in pace to outfox the batsman. Archer angles in a length ball, down leg, Pooran makes room and swings his bat blindly but connect only with thin air.
17.6 : J Archer to N Pooran, Goes on the back foot and pulls it to deep square leg for a run. 5 from the over, 10 in the last 2. This is great bowling at the death. Jofra Archer bowls out, 4-0-17-0!
Jaydev Unadkat to bowl the 19th. 32 runs in his two overs, so far.
18.1 : J Unadkat to N Pooran, Excellent start there! A yorker just inside the tramline. Not a lot the batsman can do with that. Pooran makes a leave. A dot to begin.
18.2 : J Unadkat to N Pooran, FOUR! This time misses the yorker by just and pays the price. Full and outside off, Pooran lifts it over covers and a boundary results.
18.3 : J Unadkat to N Pooran, Good change in there but that has been signaled as a wide! Short and it is the slower one. Pooran looks to pull but misses.
J Unadkat to N Pooran, Another slower one, Pooran throws the kitchen sink at it but only manages an inner edge though square leg for a single.
18.4 : J Unadkat to S Khan, FOUR! Second boundary in the over, a fortunate one for the batter. Full and outside off, Sarfaraz swings but it goes off the outside edge, over point and into the fence.
18.5 : J Unadkat to S Khan, A single now as this is slapped through covers.
18.6 : J Unadkat to N Pooran, A top nut to end the over but 12 from it. Pooran jams the yorker out down the ground for a single. Not a good day at work for JU, he went for 44 in the 3 overs he bowled.
Ben Stokes to bowl the last over.
19.1 : Ben Stokes to N Pooran, OUT! Pooran departs! The slower one and it is outside off, Pooran reaches out for it and looks to hit it downtown. It is off the bottom part of his blade and Rahane at long off runs in and takes it easily. Ideal start to the last over for the hosts.
Five balls to go. Mandeep Singh is the new batsman but he will be at the non-striker's end as the batsmen crossed.
19.2 : Ben Stokes to S Khan, From around the wicket Stokes bowls it down the leg side. Sarfaraz swings but misses. Wided.
Ben Stokes to S Khan, FOUR! How good was that? Brilliant innovation! Goes down on one knee and Stokes bowls it short. Sarfaraz ramps it over the keeper for a one-bounce boundary in the third man region.
19.3 : Ben Stokes to S Khan, Just a single now as this is pulled but to the man at deep square leg. Gets the new man on strike, 3 balls to go, 7 runs for 180.
19.4 : Ben Stokes to M Singh, Make that 5 needed now from 2 for 180. This is very full and outside off. Mandeep hits it towards wide long off and takes two.
19.5 : Ben Stokes to M Singh, In the air... but safe! Three runs in the end! Slower ball and it is down the leg side. Mandeep looks to flick but gets a top edge. It goes high up in the air towards deep square leg. Gopal there seems to have misjudged it completely as he ran in to take it. In the end, he is a long way away from the ball and the batters take three.
19.6 : Ben Stokes to S Khan, SIX! Ends the innings with a bang! 17 from the last over. The slower ball and it is on middle, Sarfaraz this time waits for it and then tonks it over the mid-wicket fence. PUNJAB END ON 184!
29 in the last two overs and Punjab have ended their innings on a high! They were losing the plot at the death but have done well to post a very challenging total on the board. It was a quiet Powerplay for them as Rajasthan started superbly with the ball. After that Mayank Agarwal and Chris Gayle steadied things with a stand but the real impetus was provided by the quickfire partnership between the Jamaican giant and Sarfaraz Khan.
Rajasthan tried pulling things back post the departure of Chris Gayle and succeeded for a brief period as well. But Sarfaraz Khan played a good hand in his first outing for Punjab and contributed vital runs to the total. It was an on and off bowling show from the home team. Jofra Archer stood out with exceptional figures while Ben Stokes picked up a couple of expensive wickets. The pitch appeared two-paced at the start but the way Gayle batted, it looked like good for stroke making. Let's find o
0.0 : We are back for the chase! It is the dynamic Jos Buttler and the skipper, Ajinkya Rahane who walk out as the openers for Rajasthan. They will need to provide a good start here. For Punjab, the debutant, Sam Curran will start off the proceedings. Here we go...
0.1 : Sam Curran to A Rahane, Good delivery to begin with! Starts from outside off and then tails back in a little. Rahane strokes it to mid off.
0.2 : Sam Curran to A Rahane, On a length again and around off, Rahane looks to punch but this one stays low, it is mistimed to covers.
0.3 : Sam Curran to A Rahane, FOUR! Crisp! Beautiful! A top shot to get off the mark. Slightly fuller this time and on off, Rahane just takes a few steps ahead and then creams it through mid off. Rajasthan are underway in style.
0.4 : Sam Curran to A Rahane, The slower one and on off, Rahane once again strokes it confidently to covers.
0.5 : Sam Curran to A Rahane, FOUR! Takes the aerial route this time and gets the desired result. There is width on offer again and Rahane pounces onto it. He lofts it over covers and the ball goes for a one bounce boundary.
0.6 : Sam Curran to A Rahane, FOUR! Three boundaries in the over! What a start for the hosts. Another exquisite shot. This is just behind a fuller length. Rahane leans into it and times it past the diving mid off fielder.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman to bowl from the other end.
1.1 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, FOUR! A boundary to begin Mujeeb's over as well. Four boundaries in the first 7 balls. Down the leg side, Buttler flicks it fine. The fielder at short fine leg tries to stop it with a dive but fails to do so.
1.2 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, Now goes back and punches it down to long on for a run. Sensible stuff.
1.3 : Ur Rahman to A Rahane, Fired onto the stumps, Rahane goes back and defends it onto the ground.
1.4 : Ur Rahman to A Rahane, This one is angled into the batsman, Rahane works it through mid-wicket and takes an easy single.
1.5 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, Shortish and outside off, it skids through. Buttler looks to cut but the ball is too close to play that shot. He chops it onto the ground.
1.6 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, Another dot to end as Buttler punches it to mid off. So an excellent comeback by Mujeeb after going for a boundary on the first ball.
Mohammed Shami is on now.
2.1 : M Shami to A Rahane, A single to start his spell as this is worked to the right of mid on.
2.2 : M Shami to Jos Buttler, UPPISH BUT FOUR! Slightly fuller and on off, Buttler leans into it and drives it. It is uppish but wide of mid off. Races away. The wicket seems to have gotten slightly better to bat on.
2.3 : M Shami to Jos Buttler, That shot there is a good example. A length ball and Buttler strokes it on the up, it races it to the fielder at covers.
2.4 : M Shami to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Innovation at its best! Probably the best at playing that shot. Buttler at the very end he shuffles across. Shami bowls it on middle, Buttler scoops it over short fine leg for a boundary. This is turning out to be another expensive over.
2.5 : M Shami to Jos Buttler, Shami goes very full on the stumps, Buttler strokes it back to the bowler.
2.6 : M Shami to Jos Buttler, Good delivery to end! Length and around off, this one straightens a touch. Buttler looks to work it on the leg side but the ball goes off the leading edge to point. Two dots to end but 9 from the over, Rajasthan off to a flier.
3.1 : Ur Rahman to A Rahane, Goes on the back foot to a shortish ball and punches it down ot long on for a run.
3.2 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, Flatter and shorter on off, Jos tries to punch it through the off side but gets an inside edge towards square leg.
3.3 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, Connects with his back foot punch this time but finds the extra cover fielder.
3.4 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Boom! Flighted delivery landing full outside off, Buttler hangs on the back foot and drills it down through mid off for a cracking boundary. Rahul in the deep tries his best but fails to make a clean stop.
3.5 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, Shortish and on off, punched from the crease but once again found the cover fielder.
3.6 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, SIX! Effortless! Buttler was struggling to find the gap in the cover region so he decides to go the aerial route. A flatter and shorter ball on off, quicker through the air, Jos keeps his weight on the back leg and rockets it over wide mid off for a biggie. 11 from the over, 38/0 in 4!
4.1 : M Shami to A Rahane, A little too straight, Rahane works it towards mid-wicket.
4.2 : M Shami to A Rahane, FOUR! Just helps it on its way! Short and on the body, Rahane just uses the pace and pulls it through backward square leg for a boundary.
4.3 : M Shami to A Rahane, Nicely done! Got a boundary of a poor last ball, this time he respects the new ball and gently guides it down to third man for a run.
4.4 : M Shami to Jos Buttler, Just behind the driving length and outside off. Buttler goes at it with hard hands but misses.
4.5 : M Shami to Jos Buttler, In the air... but safe! Slower ball and Buttler is slightly deceived in pace. His bat turns in his hands as he looks to go over covers. Still gets enough though to clear the ring and finds a couple.
4.6 : M Shami to Jos Buttler, A full toss and Buttler misses out. He flicks it straight to square leg. A better over from Shami, just 7 from it.
Sam Curran is back on.
5.1 : Sam Curran to A Rahane, A full toss and Rahane is way too early in the flick. It goes off the leading edge away from the bowler and towards long on for a run. Once again a bowler gets away after bowling a full toss.
5.2 : Sam Curran to Jos Buttler, FOUR! 50 up, the perfect start for the hosts chasing a big total. Poor bowling this, width on offer outside off, Buttler throws his bat at it, clears the point fielder and finds the boundary.
5.3 : Sam Curran to Jos Buttler, Buttler makes room again, Curran follows him with a full ball. JB strokes it to covers.
5.4 : Sam Curran to Jos Buttler, SIX! That is power, a brute of a shot that. Short and on the body, Buttler just flat-bats it straight down the ground and it just about carries over the fence.
5.5 : Sam Curran to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Curran is not sure where to bowl. Can't blame him as Buttler is in some mood. Curran goes very wide but it is a full toss. Buttler reaches out for it, gets bat to ball and it goes to the third man fence.
5.6 : Sam Curran to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Boundary to end! 19 from the 6th and Rajasthan have bossed the Powerplay. They are 64 for 0 after it. A slap here. It is a length ball on off, Buttler stands tall and slaps it through covers. The ball races away to the fence. No mercy shown by Jos for his countryman.
Time out! A contrasting Powerplay for Rajasthan. They have got a quickfire beginning to their run chase and Jos Buttler, in particular, is looking in dangerous mood. 121 needed off 84 balls and the kind of start the home team has got, it should be easy from hereon. Having said that, let's see how Punjab's spinners perform in the middle overs. If they get some purchase, then it might get interesting. For the moment, it's Rajasthan in the driver's seat.
Ravichandran Ashwin brings himself into the attack.
6.1 : R Ashwin to A Rahane, Starts off with a delivery down the leg side, Rahane works it through square leg for a run.
6.2 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, Good running! Buttler gently pushes it towards covers. The fielder there dives and deflects it away from long off which enables the batsmen to take two.
6.3 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, This time to the left of the fielder at covers. He dives and makes a half stop but can't stop a run.
6.4 : R Ashwin to A Rahane, Flatter and outside off, Rahane waits and then guides it towards short third man for a single.
6.5 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, On the stumps, Buttler works it through mid-wicket and gets to the other end.
6.6 : R Ashwin to A Rahane, Shortish but quicker, Rahane goes back and punches it down to wide long on for a run. Just the 7 from Ashwin's first. Punjab need a couple more tight overs to build the pressure. Right now, Rajasthan are cruising.
Ankit Rajpoot is on now.
7.1 : A Rajpoot to A Rahane, A slower ball on the pads, Rahane works it away from the fielder at deep square leg and takes two.
7.2 : A Rajpoot to A Rahane, On the fuller side, Rahane eases it down to long on and changes strike.
7.3 : A Rajpoot to Jos Buttler, Slower ball just outside off, Buttler goes at it with hard hands. It takes the inside edge and then hits Buttler's pads.
7.4 : A Rajpoot to Jos Buttler, Well bowled! In the 5th stump channel and it is on a length. Buttler pokes at it tentatively but gets beaten.
7.5 : A Rajpoot to Jos Buttler, Another dot! This is turning out to be another good over. A yorker on middle, Buttler jams it out. Some aggression from the bowler as he mimes a throw at the striker's end.
7.6 : A Rajpoot to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Just over! Spoils the over, still a good one though as only 7 comes off it. Buttler brings up his half ton. Another top knock from him. he has taken the attack to the bowlers right from the word go. The job is yet not done though. The slower ball and it is fuller in length. Buttler hits it over mid off and a boundary results.
8.1 : R Ashwin to A Rahane, OUT! Sound of timber! Ashwin hunts down Rahane! It's a well-disguised carrom ball from Ash. He lands it around off and Ajinkya tries to play it from the back foot. His attempt to play at it late and run it probably down to third man fails and the off stump takes a beating. Punjab finally have a breakthrough but they need a few more in quick time. 107 needed off 71 balls.
0.0 : Sanju Samson is the new batsman.
8.2 : R Ashwin to S Samson, Loopy and full on off, it's flicked through mid-wicket for a run.
8.3 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, The batsman has played it to the point region. One run added to the total.
8.4 : R Ashwin to S Samson, Allows the ball to spin back in and works it through mid-wicket for one.
8.5 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, Fullish and on off, knocked down to long off for a single.
8.6 : R Ashwin to S Samson, Flatter and shorter on off, Samson gets back and strokes it towards extra cover for a brisk single. End of a successful over for Punjab, five runs and a wicket from it.
9.1 : A Rajpoot to S Samson, A nice drive down the ground, the fielder from long on though gets to his left quickly and keeps it down to one.
9.2 : A Rajpoot to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Once again the scoop and once again a boundary. This time though he was helped by the bowler as he bowls it on the leg stump. Buttler just helps it on its way. Runs needed below 100 now.
9.3 : A Rajpoot to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Too easy this for Buttler. Just the one man out on the off side so he targets that area. Makes room and then lofts it over cover for consecutive boundaries. Toying with the bowler is the opener.
9.4 : A Rajpoot to Jos Buttler, Once again width on offer outside off, Buttler slaps it through covers and takes two.
9.5 : A Rajpoot to Jos Buttler, A yorker on off, Buttler jams it out towards cover. It is traveling and the fielder there can't stop it cleanly. A single.
9.6 : A Rajpoot to S Samson, Samson need not do anything silly and he does not. He works it through mid-wicket for a run. 13 from the over, releases all the pressure that was building.
10.1 : R Ashwin to S Samson, Plays this one late and towards third man for a single.
10.2 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, Gives it air on off, Buttler strokes it to covers.
10.3 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, BEATEN! The carrom ball outside off, it skids through. Buttler looks to put bat on ball but misses.
10.4 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, Another dot as this drive finds covers.
10.5 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, Flatter and outside off, Buttler mistimes his cut towards covers for a run.
10.6 : R Ashwin to S Samson, This is fired on the pads, Samson works it through mid-wicket and gets to the other end. Another excellent over by Ashwin, just the three from it. He has been really good in this spell, he though needs support from the other end.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman is back on.
11.1 : Ur Rahman to S Samson, Short in length on off, it's pulled down to long on for a run. 100 up for Rajasthan!
11.2 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, Goes on the back foot to a delivery on middle and forces it past his partner to long on for a single.
11.3 : Ur Rahman to S Samson, A delivery once again on the shorter side, Samson uses his wrists and works it to deep mid-wicket. He scampers back for the second run and a direct hit from the deep would have caught Samson short.
11.4 : Ur Rahman to S Samson, Shortish and outside off, Sanju tries to cut but misses.
11.5 : Ur Rahman to S Samson, Gentle taps a shortish ball down to short third man for one.
11.6 : Ur Rahman to Jos Buttler, A bit short on middle, helped towards square leg for another single. 9 from the last two overs from the spinners. 80 needed off 48 balls.
12.1 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, This is very full on the pads, Buttler works it through mid-wicket and gets to the other end.
12.2 : R Ashwin to S Samson, Outside off, Samson looks to play it late but misses.
12.3 : R Ashwin to S Samson, In the air... but lands in no man's land! The carom ball and Samson looks to whip it. It takes the top edge and lands towards mid on for a single.
12.4 : R Ashwin to Jos Buttler, Quicker and outside off, Buttler hits it through covers for another single.
12.5 : R Ashwin to S Samson, Another carom ball, Samson looks to flick but it goes off the leading edge towards point.
12.4 : Steven Smith is there in the middle.
12.5 : R Ashwin to S Samson, OUT! What happened there? An attempt to run the non-striker out? Mankading? Controversy here. Ashwin and Buttler are involved in some war of words. It has been referred upstairs... Given out! Buttler has to go. The replays show that while Ashwin was in his delivery stride, Buttler has left the crease. The Punjab skipper clips the bails and Jos is well short. This is a massive moment in this match.
12.6 : R Ashwin to S Samson, Gets forward and flicks it down to long on for a couple of runs.
13.1 : A Rajpoot to S Smith, Shortish and outside off, Smith looks to cut but misses.
13.2 : A Rajpoot to S Smith, Crunched but straight to the fielder at sweeper cover for a single.
13.3 : A Rajpoot to S Samson, Angles this one into the batsman, Samson works it through mid-wicket and takes a run.
13.4 : A Rajpoot to S Smith, NO BALL! Not good this from Rajpoot, especially when the pressure is building on Rajasthan, he oversteps. Also, a couple on this ball as this is flicked over the mid-wicket fielder. Free Hit coming up.
A Rajpoot to S Smith, Nothing of the Free Hit but it is another no ball! This is a big one. It is outside off, Smith goes for the hoick but misses. He has another chance here.
A Rajpoot to S Smith, Just the leg bye! Excellent bowling! The slower one and fuller in length on middle, Smith once again goes for the slog but misses as the ball hits his pads. The funny part here is Rajpoot appeals as he forgets it is a Free Hit. The batsmen take a leg bye as the ball rolls towards the leg side.
13.5 : A Rajpoot to S Samson, Shorter in length and outside off, Samson pushes it through covers for a run.
13.6 : A Rajpoot to S Smith, Dances down the track but Rajpoot bowls a slower one. Smith pushes it back towards the bowler who makes a good stop diving to his left. Saves a single. So despite the two no balls, just 8 from it. 67 in 6.
Sam Curran returns into the attack.
14.1 : Sam Curran to S Samson, A couple to start the 15th. Full and wide outside off, Samson jams it towards third man. They take the one, the fielder fumbles and the batsmen take another.
14.2 : Sam Curran to S Samson, That was there to be hit! Length and outside off, Samson fails to get under it and hits it towards long on for a single.
14.3 : Sam Curran to S Smith, Another two! Just at the very end Smith uses his wrists and then opens the face of the bat. It goes through cover-point and a couple is taken.
14.4 : Sam Curran to S Smith, FOUR! Much, much-needed boundary this! Excellent shot. Smith goes down on one knee and then sweeps it over mid-wicket. The fielder in the deep tries to stop it with a dive but his effort goes in vain.
14.5 : Sam Curran to S Smith, WIDE NOW! Pressure, pressure getting the better of the bowler. This is down the leg side. Smith swings but misses. 10 runs from the over already and two balls still to go.
Sam Curran to S Smith, SIX! What a shot that is! Right off the middle this one! On the pads, Smith uses the depth of the crease and then flicks it over the square leg fence. 16 from the over now, a ball to go.
14.6 : Sam Curran to S Smith, 17 from it and once again the game has been turned into the favor of the hosts. Smith taps this ball towards point and gets to the other end. 50 in 5 needed now.
Mohammed Shami is back on.
15.1 : M Shami to S Smith, A yorker on middle, Smith works it through mid-wicket and gets to the other end.
15.2 : M Shami to S Samson, SIX! Effortless! How easy was that? Extremely elegant. Makes room and Shami bowls it full. Samson just lofts it with ease over mid off and it goes all the way. A boundary early in the over, pressure now on Shami.
15.3 : M Shami to S Samson, Goes back once again and then flicks it through square leg for an easy run.
15.4 : M Shami to S Smith, Another yorker, Smith jams it down towards long on. They run the first one hard but have to settle for a single.
15.5 : M Shami to S Samson, Another slower one on middle, Samson stylishly flicks it through mid-wicket and takes a run.
15.6 : M Shami to S Smith, Another good yorker and Smith hits it down to long on for another single. So a maximum and 5 singles from the over. Run rate needed below 10 now.
16.1 : Sam Curran to S Smith, Howzzat? The answer to that question is not out! What was the sound though? Full and outside off, Smith looks to carve it through the off side but misses. There is a noise as the ball passes the bat and hence an appeal. The umpire shakes his head. There is a discussion but they opt not to review. Replay shows that the sound was of the bat hitting the ground.
0.0 : Shout for an lbw this time! Not given and Ravichandran Ashwin has taken the referral after listening to his bowler. Pitched outside leg or did it hit him flush on the boot?
16.2 : Sam Curran to S Smith, NOT OUT! Neither, there is a bottom edge there. Punjab lose their only review. A yorker on the leg stump as Smith has shuffled across. He looks to flick but not sure if he has got an inside edge there. The ball then hits his pads and rolls towards fine leg. There is an appeal but the umpire shakes his head. In the meantime the batters run a single. Ashwin now takes a review. Replays show that there is an inside edge.
16.3 : Sam Curran to S Samson, Just a single again as this is stroked down to long on. This has been an excellent over so far.
16.4 : Sam Curran to S Smith, OUT! In the air... taken! What a catch that is. They say catches win you matches and will this win it for Punjab? Smith who was really hitting the ball well is walking back. Curran who has not been at his best today is bowling a game-changing over here. The slower ball does the trick for him. It is full and outside off. Smith lofts it over covers. He though gets a lot of height on this one. However, it is tailing away from Rahul. He makes a lot of ground to his left
Ben Stokes walks in next.
16.5 : Sam Curran to S Samson, A couple! Boundaries are what Punjab will mind. Samson hits it down towards long on and takes two.
16.6 : Sam Curran to S Samson, OUT! Another one bites the dust! Two in the over and now Rajasthan have two new batsmen at the crease. Just what the visitors wanted and not what the hosts would have wanted. Another slower ball which is outside off. Samson looks to loft it over covers but the timing is not there. Like Smith he too gets a lot of height on it. Ashwin at covers backtracks and takes a very good catch. The game has once again turned. What an over by Curran to finish his spell, 4 runs an
Rahul Tripathi is the new batsman. 35 needed off 18 balls. Mujeeb is back on as well.
17.1 : Ur Rahman to R Tripathi, Loopy and full on middle, Rahul dances down the track and drills it to long on for a run.
17.2 : Ur Rahman to Ben Stokes, SIX! This one goes rocketing over the cow corner. Flatter and fuller on off, Stokes kneels and launches it over the fence for a biggie.
17.3 : Ur Rahman to Ben Stokes, OUT! Mujeeb gets the revenge! The wheels are coming off for Rajasthan. The Afghan keeps his composure and delivers it in the line of the stumps. Ben Stokes hops back to make space and tries to clear long on this time. He gets more height than distance behind his shot and Nair (sub) takes the skier safely. 28 needed off 15 balls. We're heading to a thrilling finish!
Krishnappa Gowtham walks out to bat.
17.4 : Ur Rahman to R Tripathi, Quicker one on middle, skidding down, Tripathi is down on one knee trying to sweep but misses.
17.5 : Ur Rahman to R Tripathi, Wide! Another quicker one, fired wide outside off, Rahul flashed and missed.
Ur Rahman to R Tripathi, Fullish and on middle, Tripathi fails to connect with his attempted slog sweep.
17.6 : Ur Rahman to R Tripathi, OUT! Rajasthan have lost the plot completely! A full toss from Mujeeb, on middle, Tripathi this time tries to attempt what Stokes failed to do - clear long on. Fails miserably and is caught by Rahul in the deep. 12 runs and four wickets in the last two overs have made Punjab the favourites now.
Jofra Archer is the new man in. Also, it is Mohammed Shami who is back into the attack.
18.1 : M Shami to K Gowtham, Close! Gowtham powers it down towards long on and the batsmen take one. They go for the second. Archer is struggling but to his luck, Shami fails to collect the throw from Mayank.
18.2 : M Shami to K Gowtham, A dot! Gold at this stage! Short and on middle, Gowtham may not have been expecting it. He goes for the pull but misses as he is late on the shot.
18.3 : M Shami to K Gowtham, A yorker now on middle, Gowtham jams it out towards point and a run is taken. Singles won't harm Punjab here.
18.4 : M Shami to J Archer, Another yorker, not a lot you can do with that. Archer works it through mid-wicket for a couple. 22 needed in 8. Need to end the over well here, Rajasthan.
18.5 : M Shami to J Archer, OUT! RUN OUT! Archer is out of here! Another top nut, a yorker and Archer fails to jam it out properly. He though is off for a single but Gowtham is not interested. The keeper has a shy at his end but misses. Shami though collects and since both the batters are stranded in the middle of the wicket, Shami has ample time to jog towards the stumps at the keeper's end and whip the bails off. JA is the one who has to walk back though as the batters never crossed. Into the t
Jaydev Unadkat is the new man in.
18.6 : M Shami to J Unadkat, Just a single! More importantly it won't be Gowtham who will face the start of the last over. Just the six from the penultimate over. Full and on middle, this is hit down to long on for a run. 21 needed in 6 balls.
Ankit Rajpoot to bowl the last one.
19.1 : A Rajpoot to J Unadkat, OUT! A collision but the catch has been taken! Pooran though has hurt himself as he is down on the ground. A bumper, too quick for Unadkat. He looks to pull but gets a top edge onto his helmet. The ball lobs beside the pitch. Both, the keeper and the bowler go for it. No one calls for it. In the end, it is Rajpoot who takes it but then dashes into the keeper. The good thing for Rajasthan is that Gowtham has crossed over.
Shreyas Gopal walks out to the middle.
19.2 : A Rajpoot to K Gowtham, OUT! There goes Rajasthan's last hope! Another top delivery, a yorker, Gowtham looks to get under it but fails to do so. It goes off the bottom half of his bat towards mid off where the fielder, Shami, runs in and takes it in the second attempt. Two-in-two for Rajpoot. He is on a hat-trick.
Dhawal Kulkarni is the last man out for Rajasthan.
19.3 : A Rajpoot to S Gopal, No hat-trick. A full toss on the leg pole, Gopal hits it down to long on and takes a single.
19.4 : A Rajpoot to D Kulkarni, Another yorker outside off, too good for Kulkarni as he fails to put bat on ball.
19.5 : A Rajpoot to D Kulkarni, FOUR! A boundary but it won't be making a difference. Full and around off, this is stroked through covers and the ball races away to the fence.
19.6 : A Rajpoot to D Kulkarni, A single from the last ball and that is it, PUNJAB WIN BY 14 RUNS. Length and on middle, this is eased down to long on for a run.
What a turnaround from Punjab! And it won't be wrong to say that Rajasthan have been 'Mankaded' here. Also, their first loss against Punjab at this venue. The chase was going very well for the home team as Jos Buttler and Ajinkya Rahane provided an excellent start in the Powerplay. The Rajasthan skipper fell but the Englishman continued and was very severe on all the bowlers, especially his countryman, Sam Curran.
Now, let's talk about the controversial moment which completely turned this game on its head. Ravichandran Ashwin mankaded Jos Buttler and that was the moment when 77 was needed off 43 balls. Sanju Samson and Steven Smith formed a partnership to propel the hosts but then came the over number 17. In an act of redemption, Sam Curran bowled an extraordinary over where he removed both Smith and Samson, and brought his team back into the contest. The following over by Mujeeb further dented Rajasthan
Rajasthan's skipper, Ajinkya Rahane says that Jos Buttler batted really well but they lost the plot completely and credits Punjab for bowling well in the last three overs. On the controversial dismissal of Buttler, Rahane chooses not to comment and states that they will take that decision sportingly and it's up to the match referee to decide. Adds that they have a lot to learn from this game. Praises Buttler and Archer for their performance and says that he is taking positives from this match.
Sarfaraz Khan gives a little interview. Says that he was working hard on his game and is pleased to play a good knock. Mentions that he never got too much time higher up in the batting order in the League and hopes to get more such opportunities. On playing the paddle scoop with so much ease, Sarfaraz replies that he has been practicing that shot from a very young age.
Victorious Punjab skipper, Ravichandran Ashwin says that they knew the pitch will slow down after the first six overs. Adds that he has been working on a lot of variations and is pleased with the way it came out. On the Mankading dismissal, Ashwin replies that it's pretty instinctive and Buttler left the crease very early. States that his stand is very clear and it's his half of the pitch. Feels that it was the game-changer and he is happy to end on the winning side. Mentions that Sam Curran had
Man of the Match, Chris Gayle smiles and says that it's a big ground and to get some runs in the first game is really important. He is pleased to start the season well and just wants to keep getting better and better. States that he is still enjoying his cricket. Lauds the batting of Sarfaraz Khan. Feels that Rajasthan got the better part of the pitch to bat but praises his bowlers for doing the job for them. Laughs and says that the youngsters in the team have a lot to offer and they want to wi
Done and dusted with this match. On Tuesday, Delhi will be hosting Chennai at the Feroz Shah Kotla. The action will begin at 2000 IST (1430 GMT). Do join us for the coverage. Cheers!