| 0.0 : 6 teams have played their opening games now. Time for the remaining two to go against each other and kick off their campaign. Hello and welcome to the first Monday of the season and to game no. 4. Sanju Samson kick starts his captaincy career with Rajasthan against another young but a bit more experienced captain in KL Rahul. Rajasthan will hope that a new skipper at helm can also see them move over the disappointment of 2020 campaign. The 2008 champions will miss the services of Archer but will |
| PITCH REPORT - Simon Doull is the pitch master for the day. Doull says the pitch is the same that was used in the game between Chennai and Delhi. Tells Delhi bowled full and that made it hard to hit while Chennai tried to do the same, the dew played a factor. Tells that is the reason sides will look to choose bowl first. Adds that the pitch is great to bat. |
| TOSS - It is time to beat the Monday blues as Sanju Samson is out in the middle for the first time as a skipper for the toss. Punjab captain, KL Rahul is out as well along with the match referee. Sanju Samson has the coin in hand. Up it goes. Rahul calls Tails but it comes down as  Heads. RAJASTHAN OPT TO BOWL! |
| Sanju Samson, Rajasthan skipper, says they will bowl first. Adds that they have a strong team as they have bought some good players in the auction. Informs that Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Chris Morris and Mustafizur Rahman are their four overseas players. Ends by saying that he is excited about the role. |
| Punjab skipper, KL Rahul says that everyone wants to bowl first on this venue but now they will have to play good cricket now and the results will follow. Rahul tells it is about the team coming together. Rahul says they felt they needed to fix some positions and is happy with the auctions. Rahul informs Meredith, Richardson, Gayle and Pooran are the four foreigners playing this game. |
| Punjab's Nicholas Pooran is caught for a chat. Pooran says that he is very happy to be back in India and hopes to have a wonderful season. Tells everyone is excited in the squad. Pooran tells he is looking to improve and be himself. Pooran says they need to focus on doing the right thing. On Gayle, Pooran hopes that they can witness a Gaylestorm tonight. |
| Punjab (Playing XI) - KL Rahul (C), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan, Jhye Richardson, Murugan Ashwin, Riley Meredith, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh. |
| Rajasthan (Playing XI) - Jos Buttler, Manan Vohra, Ben Stokes, Sanju Samson (C/WK), Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Shreyas Gopal, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman. |
| We are all set for the action to begin! The umpires make their way out to the middle. Rajasthan players are in a huddle, with their young skipper, Sanju Samson giving final words of motivation before his side takes the field. Punjab skipper, KL Rahul strides out with his longtime pal, Mayank Agarwal to open the innings. Debutant, Chetan Sakariya is all set to get into the thick of action straightaway. He will operate with the new ball first up.  |
| 0.1 : Chetan Sakariya to KL Rahul,Sakariya starts right on the money. A little bit of inward movement to the right-hander. It is full and on off. Rahul walks inside the line of it and pushes it to mid on. |
| 0.2 : Chetan Sakariya to KL Rahul, Rahul and Punjab get their first run of the season. Sakariya pulls his length back and bowls it around off. Once again this ball comes back in to Rahul. The Punjab skipper, hops and taps it to the side of the pitch on the off side and takes a quick single. |
| 0.3 : Chetan Sakariya to Mayank Agarwal, FOUR! Mayank Agarwal gets off the mark in style! A kind gift from the debutant to Mayank first up. Short and wide outside off. Mayank says thank you very much and smacks it through covers for a boundary. |
| 0.4 : Chetan Sakariya to Mayank Agarwal, Much better from Chetan Sakariya! He gets the ball to curve back in and cramps Mayank for room. It is on middle and leg. Mayank Agarwal dabs it to short third man. |
| 0.5 : Chetan Sakariya to Mayank Agarwal, Good bowling and good running as well. Length ball on middle and it comes back in. Mayank taps it towards Morris at mid off and calls for the run straightaway. KL Rahul goes with the call. Morris has a shy at the bowler's end but misses. |
| 0.6 : Mustafizur Rahman to bowl from the other end. |
| 1.1 : Mustafizur Rahman to Mayank Agarwal, Mustafizur starts his Rajasthan career with a good length ball on off. Mayank places it away from short third man and away from the fielder at deep point. The batters take two. |
| 1.2 : Mustafizur Rahman to Mayank Agarwal, Good ball! Appeal for LBW but turned down. A very close call this but the ball seems to have been doing too much. Good length ball pitching on middle. It comes back in with pace. Mayank looks to defend but misses and gets hit high on the pad. There is a huge appeal but the umpire is unmoved. Sanju thinks about the review but does not opt for it. Well...well...well. Replays roll in later and it shows it was going to hit the top of middle stump. Rajasthan |
| 1.3 : Mustafizur Rahman to Mayank Agarwal, Length ball on middle and leg, Mayank plays it to the on side and gets away from the danger end. |
| 1.4 : Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, Good length ball bowled at pace. Mustafizur looks in a good rhythm. Rahul clips it to the leg side and rotates the strike. |
| 1.5 : Mustafizur Rahman to Mayank Agarwal, WIDE! Mustafizur Rahman misses his line and bowls this down the leg side. Mayank looks to flick but misses. Wided by the umpire. |
| Mustafizur Rahman to Mayank Agarwal, Mustafizur continues to hit the length consistently in his first over. It is on middle, Mayank clips it to the right of mid on and gets a brace. |
| 1.6 : Mustafizur Rahman to Mayank Agarwal, FOUR! Boundary to finish the over! Mustafizur changes his length and gets punished. He goes full on middle, Mayank shows lovely wrist work and hand-eye coordination. He whips it away from the diving short mid-wicket fielder and well away from mid on for a boundary. Excellent shot to finish the over. |
| 2.1 : Chetan Sakariya to KL Rahul, Good length delivery around off. Rahul defends it to the off side. |
| 2.2 : Chetan Sakariya to KL Rahul, A very excited appeal from Chetan Sakariya. So much so that he falls while appealing. The umpire though is unmoved. On the pads, Rahul looks to flick but misses it as it comes in a bit. Sakariya appeals and tumbles onto the ground but nothing from the umpire. |
| 2.3 : Chetan Sakariya to KL Rahul, Very good shot but just for one. Good length delivery around off, Rahul gets on top of the bounce and plays a gorgeous cover drive. Sanju though has kept a man in the deep there. So just a single. |
| 2.4 : Chetan Sakariya to Mayank Agarwal, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Chetan Sakariya gets his first wicket in this league and what a moment for him. A moment he will never forget for the rest of his life. He was a net bowler for Bangalore in the previous edition but now he is in the middle of the action and amongst the big boys. To mark this occasion he has got the big wicket of Mayank Agarwal! Full and wide outside off, Mayank decides to clear his front leg and slog this to the off side. The idea seems |
| Chris Gayle is the new batsman in. |
| 2.5 : Chetan Sakariya to Chris Gayle, This one comes back in a lot. Good length ball pitching well outside off. Gayle carefully shoulders arms to it and watches it swing back in a lot on its way to the keeper. |
| 2.6 : Chetan Sakariya to Chris Gayle, Length delivery way outside off. Gayle is happy to have the calm before the storm as he leaves this alone as well. Excellent over from young Chetan Sakariya. Just a run of it and the big wicket of Mayank Agarwal. |
| 3.1 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, FOUR! Delicate from Rahul! Morris starts with a good length delivery outside off. Rahul waits for it and initially it looks like he has edged it but Rahul has opened the face of the bat and placed it past Ben Stokes at slip and the ball races away to the third man fence. |
| 3.3 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, Good length delivery on off, Rahul taps it to cover and looks for a quick run. He forgot it is the big man, Gayle at the other end. The Universe Boss says no to that risky run. |
| 3.2 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, Excellent work from Manan Vohra saves two for his side! Good length delivery around off, Rahul gets on top of the bounce and punches it through cover. Manan Vohra in the deep runs to his left and puts in a dive to pull the ball back inside the rope. A lot of replays are needed to determine if the stop is clean. And after a long watch, it is deemed to be clean. Superb from Manan Vohra. |
| 3.4 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, Length ball on off, Rahul defends it with a straight bat. |
| 3.5 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, WIDE! Morris misses his line and bowls it down the leg side. Rahul looks to guide it fine but misses. Wided by the umpire. |
| Chris Morris to KL Rahul, Slower ball from Morris now. It is full on middle, Rahul flicks it through square leg and takes a single. |
| 0.0 : The most expensive buy of the league is into the action now. Chris Morris is introduced into the attack. |
| 3.6 : Chris Morris to Chris Gayle, Edgy but away! Gayle gets his first run of the 2021 season! Full and pacy on middle and leg. Gayle looks to defend it towards mid on but closes the face of the bat early. It takes the leading edge and luckily for Punjab, it goes uppishly through the vacant cover region. Gayle takes a single and keeps the strike. |
| 4.1 : Mustafizur Rahman to Chris Gayle, Good length ball on middle and leg, Gayle keeps it out. |
| 4.2 : Mustafizur Rahman to Chris Gayle, Edgy but away! Mustafizur hits the deck hard around off. Gayle looks to punch it through the off side but it is too close to him. It takes the inside edge and goes to the on side. Rahul calls for a run and Gayle responds too. |
| 4.3 : Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, Another beautiful shot from Rahul for one. Length ball around off, Rahul gets on top of the bounce again and punches it to sweeper cover and gets to the other end. |
| 4.4 : Mustafizur Rahman to Chris Gayle, WIDE! The left-hand, right-hand combination troubles Mustafizur as he misses his line and bowls it down the leg side. |
| Mustafizur Rahman to Chris Gayle, FOUR! MUSCLED AWAY! The Universe Boss gets his first boundary of the 2021 season! Slightly shorter around off, it is not a bad ball but Gayle manages to flat-bat it over mid on with enough bat on it. |
| 4.5 : Mustafizur Rahman to Chris Gayle, On off, Gayle plays it to cover. |
| 0.0 : Mustafizur Rahman is back on. 1-0-11-0 are his figures so far. |
| 4.6 : Mustafizur Rahman to Chris Gayle, Quick single from Gayle to end the over. Full and coming in to the southpaw. Gayle uses the angle and plays it to the right of mid on. He scampers for the single. Morris at mid on fails to get the ball cleanly allowing Gayle to come back in with ease. |
| 5.1 : Chris Morris to Chris Gayle, Full and pacy on the pad. Gayle looks to flick but misses and gets hit on the pad outside the leg stump. |
| 5.2 : Chris Morris to Chris Gayle, Swing, and a miss! Slower delivery which is full and outside off. Gayle looks to smoke it over mid on but misses. |
| 5.3 : Chris Morris to Chris Gayle, Mistimed but muscled! Back of a length delivery around off, Gayle punches it but does not time it well. He gets it over the head of cover and gets a brace. |
| 5.4 : Chris Morris to Chris Gayle, Bouncer around the body! Gayle ducks under it. The Universe Boss has struggled with the short ball lately so not a bad ball. |
| 5.5 : Chris Morris to Chris Gayle, FOUR! Just over! This is out of the middle. Full around off, Gayle swings his bat and gets it enough to get it well over mid on and the ball races to the fence. |
| 5.6 : Chris Morris to Chris Gayle, Shorter on middle and off, Gayle pulls it to deep mid-wicket and keeps the strike. End of the Powerplay and it is a steady one for Punjab. They are 46/1 at the end of the first phase. |
| 6.1 : Shreyas Gopal to Chris Gayle, Short delivery on off, Gayle punches it through covers for a single. |
| 0.0 : The field can spread out now and Sanju Samson has called the leg spinner into the action straightaway. Shreyas Gopal is introduced into the attack. |
| 6.2 : Shreyas Gopal to KL Rahul, Floated delivery on middle, Rahul pushes it back towards the bowler. |
| 6.3 : Shreyas Gopal to KL Rahul, DROPPED AND FOUR! Tossed up delivery on off, Rahul lofts it over covers but does not get the distance on it. It goes towards the fielder where Ben Stokes tries to take the catch but spills it and concedes a boundary. |
| 6.4 : Shreyas Gopal to KL Rahul, Loopy delivery on middle, Rahul pushes it through mid on for a single. |
| 6.5 : Shreyas Gopal to Chris Gayle, FOUR! That is smashed! Short delivery on off, Gayle punches it hard through covers for a boundary. |
| 6.6 : Shreyas Gopal to Chris Gayle, Short again outside off, Gayle cuts it through point. Two runs taken. |
| 0.0 : Change in bowling. The man who made a take that can be game-changing, Ben Stokes is into the attck. |
| 7.2 : Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, Length delivery on off, Rahul pushes it through covers for a single. |
| 7.3 : Ben Stokes to Chris Gayle, SIX! That is hammered! Short delivery on middle, Gayle pulls it over square leg for a maximum. |
| 7.4 : Ben Stokes to Chris Gayle, BEATEN! Full and outside off, Gayle looks to drive but misses it. |
| 7.5 : Ben Stokes to Chris Gayle, Good length delivery on middle, Gayle looks to flick but misses it and gets hit on the pads. The bowler appeals for lbw but the umpire shakes his head. |
| 7.6 : Ben Stokes to Chris Gayle, Back of a length on off, Gayle looks to smash it but gets an inside edge on it. It goes towards the leg side. The batsmen cross ends. |
| Change in bowling. The man who was the star of the 2020 season, Rahul Tewatia is into the attack for the first time. |
| 8.1 : Rahul Tewatia to Chris Gayle, Short delivery on off, Gayle punches it through mid off for a single. |
| 8.2 : Rahul Tewatia to KL Rahul, Floated delivery on middle, Rahul pushes it through mid on for a single. |
| 8.3 : Rahul Tewatia to Chris Gayle, Short delivery on off, Gayle cuts it to point. |
| 8.4 : Rahul Tewatia to Chris Gayle, FOUR! Cracking shot! Short ball outside off, Gayle cuts it through point for a boundary. |
| 8.5 : Rahul Tewatia to Chris Gayle, DROPPED! Short delivery on middle, Gayle pulls it uppishly towards the bowler where Tewatia tries to take the catch but spills it. |
| 8.6 : Rahul Tewatia to Chris Gayle, SIX! Gayle makes him pay! Floated delivery on middle, Gayle plays a slog sweep over long on for a maximum. |
| 9.1 : Riyan Parag to KL Rahul, FOUR! That is smashed! Short delivery on off, Rahul punches it through covers for a boundary. |
| 0.0 : Change in bowling. 7th bowler into the action now and it is Riyan Parag. |
| 9.2 : Riyan Parag to KL Rahul, Tossed up delivery on off, Rahul pushes it through covers for a single. |
| 9.3 : Riyan Parag to Chris Gayle, Full on off, Gayle drives it through mid off for a single. |
| 9.4 : Riyan Parag to KL Rahul, Short delivery on middle, Rahul pulls it through mid on for a run. |
| 9.5 : Riyan Parag to Chris Gayle, OUT! CAUGHT! Parag gets the breakthrough! Floated delivery on middle, Gayle lofts it over mid on but does not get the distance on it. It goes towards long on where Ben Stokes comes forward and takes a good low catch. |
| Who will walk out to bat now? It is going to be Deepak Hooda! |
| 9.6 : Riyan Parag to Deepak Hooda, Loopy delivery on off, Hooda punches it to covers. |
| 10.1 : Rahul Tewatia to KL Rahul, Flighted delivery on middle, Rahul flicks it through mid-wicket for a couple. |
| 10.2 : Rahul Tewatia to KL Rahul, Short delivery on middle, Rahul pulls it through square leg for a single. |
| Stokes is off the field getting his finger strapped. |
| 10.3 : Rahul Tewatia to Deepak Hooda, Floated delivery on middle, Hooda drives it through mid on for a run. |
| 10.4 : Rahul Tewatia to KL Rahul, Full delivery on off, Rahul drives it through covers. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 10.5 : Rahul Tewatia to KL Rahul, SIX! That is huge! Tossed up ball on middle, Rahul comes down the track and lofts it over the bowler's head for a maximum. 100 up for Punjab! |
| 10.6 : Rahul Tewatia to KL Rahul, On middle, Rahul pushes it through point for a single. 13 runs have come from the over! |
| 11.1 : Shreyas Gopal to KL Rahul, Floated delivery on middle, Rahul punches it through mid on for a single. |
| 0.0 : Change in bowling. Riyan Parag has done his job of getting the breakthrough so Sanju Samson has reintroduced Shreyas Gopal into the attack. |
| 11.2 : Shreyas Gopal to Deepak Hooda, Full on middle, Hooda drives it through mid on for a run. |
| 11.3 : Shreyas Gopal to KL Rahul, Loopy delivery on middle, Rahul pushes it through mid on for a single. |
| 11.4 : Shreyas Gopal to Deepak Hooda, Flighted delivery on middle, Hooda comes down the track and looks to flick but misses it to get hit on the pads. |
| 11.5 : Shreyas Gopal to Deepak Hooda, FOUR! Nicely swept! On middle, Hooda sweeps it over mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 11.6 : Shreyas Gopal to Deepak Hooda, Short delivery on off, Hooda pushes it through covers for a single. |
| 12.1 : Shivam Dube to Deepak Hooda, Dube starts with a length ball on off. Hooda comes inside the line of the stump and lofts it to deep mid-wicket for one. |
| 0.0 : Shivam Dube is into the attack. |
| 12.2 : Shivam Dube to KL Rahul, FIFTY FOR KL RAHUL! What a tremendous start for the Punjab skipper. He has made a habit of making the orange cap his own and he has started really well again. SIX! That was six the moment it left the bat! Rahul did not even bother moving. Dube bowls full but delivers right into the slot for Rahul. The Punjab skipper stands and smokes it over Dube's head for a biggie. |
| 12.3 : Shivam Dube to KL Rahul, Full on middle and leg, Rahul milks it to long on for one. |
| 12.4 : Shivam Dube to Deepak Hooda, SIX! SMOKED! Dube is being toyed by the two batters in his first over. A low full toss on middle. Hooda gets under it and deposits it high and handsome over mid-wicket for a biggie. |
| 12.5 : Shivam Dube to Deepak Hooda, Short and wide outside off, Hooda cuts but finds the fielder. |
| 12.6 : Shivam Dube to Deepak Hooda, SIX! WHAT A HIT! Poor start for Dube to his Rajasthan career. He goes for 20 in his first over. Full outside off, Hooda stretches and smashes it over extra cover for a biggie. Hooda is looking in the mood and would look to do what Tewatia did last season. |
| 0.0 : Strategic Time Out! The Gayle-storm has arrived in the 2021 season and the first stop is at Mumbai. Chris Gayle is finding his groove here and has formed a solid stand with skipper, KL Rahul. The Punjab captain is happy to play the second fiddle as Gayle is spreading his wings. Rajasthan have had chances to break this stand but their fielding has been sloppy. Ben Stokes has been guilty of dropping a catch and so far it is looking costly. Can Sanju Samson find a way to end this stand? |
| 13.1 : Shreyas Gopal to KL Rahul, Flat on middle, Rahul knocks it to long on for one. |
| 13.2 : Shreyas Gopal to Deepak Hooda, SIX! Hooda is murdering that ball! Flighted on off, Hooda uses his long reach and long arms to smash it over the long off fence. Into the second tier for a massive hit. |
| 13.3 : Shreyas Gopal to Deepak Hooda, SIX! This time through the on side. He did not time it well but got enough to send it over the fielder's head. Brings up the 50-run stand in no time. Floated on middle, Hooda slog sweeps it but does not time it well. He powers it enough to send it over the jumping deep mid-wicket fielder for a biggie. Hooda had his heart in his mouth for a moment there. |
| 13.4 : Shreyas Gopal to Deepak Hooda, Darted quicker on leg. Hooda paddles it but finds short fine leg. |
| 13.5 : Shreyas Gopal to Deepak Hooda, SIX! New ball please because this one is out of here. This is the biggest of the lot. This folks is a monster. Floated on off, Hooda demolishes it over the long off fence for a mammoth hit. |
| 13.6 : Shreyas Gopal to Deepak Hooda, Single to end the over. Brings up the 150 for Punjab in just the 14th over. Darted very full on off, Hooda hits it to long on and keeps the strike. He moves to 39 off just 15 balls. 20 from this over as well. Tough, very tough start to the season for Shreyas. 40 from the last 2 overs. |
| Mustafizur Rahman is back on. |
| 14.1 : Mustafizur Rahman to Deepak Hooda, IN THE AIR AND DROPPED! Buttler, who was running behind, called for the catch and drops it. How costly will this be? Catches win matches and Rajasthan have dropped a few. That should have been Stokes' catch who was coming in. Full around off, Hooda cannot reach it as he looks to smack it over long off. Buttler runs behind from short extra cover. Stokes comes running from long off. Buttler calls for the catch though it is tougher for him. He dives, gets h |
| 14.2 : Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, Length ball wide outside off. Rahul cuts it through point for a brace. |
| 14.3 : Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, Misses out this time. This was wide and outside off. Enough width to make it punish but Rahul cuts it and finds point. A loud grunt from the Punjab skipper. |
| 14.4 : Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, SIX! Rahul is continuing the momentum here. Short on the body, Rahul hooks it over fine leg for a biggie. This is superb batting from Punjab! Outrageous! |
| 14.5 : Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, Outside off and wide. Rahul late cuts it to third man for a single. |
| 14.6 : Mustafizur Rahman to Deepak Hooda, Slower ball. It is on a length outside off, Hooda shuffles inside his crease and punches it to sweeper cover and keeps the strike. 5 overs remain in this innings and Punjab are well on their way for a 220 or above total. They are 161/2 now. |
| Chris Morris is back on. |
| 15.1 : Chris Morris to Deepak Hooda, SIX! WOW! That is some hit! The most expensive player in this league has been welcomed with a monstrous hit to his new spell. Full, in the slot for Hooda. He gets under it and smokes it over the cow corner fence for a biggie. Jeez! This guy is hitting them like a golf ball. |
| 15.2 : Chris Morris to Deepak Hooda, Good running! Hooda moves to 49 with that. Full on the pads, Hooda flicks it away from fine leg and gets a brace. |
| 15.3 : Chris Morris to Deepak Hooda, FIFTY FOR HOODA! This has been a brute of an innings from Hooda. He has been touted as a star, power hitter. At times he has failed to deliver but he has started the season with a bang! Length ball on off, Hooda strokes it to cover and gets to his milestone with a single. |
| 15.4 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, Ohh! Swing and a miss! Morris smartly rolls his finger on this one and takes the pace off this one. It is bowled outside off, Rahul swings hard at it but the ball turns off the rough ad misses the bat and stumps on its way to the keeper. |
| 15.5 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, Very full on off, Rahul milks it to long on for a single. |
| 15.6 : Chris Morris to Deepak Hooda, Morris hits the deck hard and bfollows Hooda outside off. Deepak taps it to cover and takes a single. Good comeback from Morris after going for a six in the first ball of the over. |
| STRATEGIC TIME-OUT! Punjab have been going strong. KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda are putting on a great partnership here where Hooda has been the aggressor. On the other hand, Rajasthan bowlers are not finding any answers to Punjab's aggressive batting. They will try to restrict Punjab under 220. |
| 16.1 : Chetan Sakariya to Deepak Hooda, PLAY AND A MISS! Short and outside off, Hooda looks to cut but misses it. |
| 16.2 : Chetan Sakariya to Deepak Hooda, Full delivery on middle, Hooda looks to slog at it but gets it off the inner half of the bat. It goes towards fine leg. The batsmen cross ends. |
| 16.3 : Chetan Sakariya to KL Rahul, Short ball on off, Rahul punches it towards point for a single. |
| 16.4 : Chetan Sakariya to Deepak Hooda, PLAY AND A MISS! Yorker outside off, Hooda looks to dig it out but misses it. |
| 16.6 : Chetan Sakariya to Deepak Hooda, Four! |
| 16.5 : Chetan Sakariya to Deepak Hooda, FOUR! That is hammered! Short delivery on leg, Hooda pulls it over fine leg for a boundary. |
| 16.6 : Chetan Sakariya to Deepak Hooda, NO BALL AND FOUR! Full delivery on off, Hooda lofts it over the bowler's head for a boundary. The third umpire calls it a no ball as Sakariya oversteps! |
| Chetan Sakariya to Deepak Hooda, FOUR! 15 runs from the over! Full delivery outside off, Hooda lofts it over point for a boundary. |
| 17.1 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, SIX! Nice improvisation! Length delivery on middle, Rahul plays a paddle scoop over fine leg for a boundary. |
| 17.2 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, Back of a length on middle, Rahul looks to play the paddle scoop but gets an inside edge. It goes towards fine leg for a single. |
| 17.4 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, SIX! That is clobbered! Short ball on middle, Rahul pulls it over mid-wicket for a biggie. |
| 17.3 : Who will walk out to bat now? It will be Nicholas Pooran! |
| Chris Morris to Deepak Hooda, OUT! CAUGHT! Morris gets his first wicket! Length delivery on middle, Hooda looks to loft it over mid on but does not get the distance on it. It goes towards long on where Riyan Parag takes a comfortable catch. Deepak Hooda has played a brilliant innings here. |
| 17.5 : Chris Morris to KL Rahul, Full delivery outside off, Rahul drives it through covers for a single. |
| 17.6 : Chris Morris to Nicholas Pooran, OUT! That is a stunning catch from Chetan Sakariya! Short delivery on leg, Morris pulls it uppishly towards short fine leg where Chetan Sakariya moves to his left, dives and takes an excellent catch. The umpires want to check whether he has taken the catch cleany. The third umpire wants to check the replays. Replays show that Sakariya did not grass it and has done well to take it. |
| Mustafizur Rahman to bowl the penultimate over of the innings. |
| 18.1 : Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, Short delivery outside off, Rahul looks to cut but gets an outside edge. It goes towards third man where it falls short of him. The batsmen take a single. |
| 18.2 : Mustafizur Rahman to Shahrukh Khan, Short delivery outside off, Khan pushes it uppishly towards long off for a single. |
| 18.3 : Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, NO BALL! Full and outside off, Rahul looks to play the reverse scoop but misses it. The third umpire calls it a no ball as Rahman oversteps! |
| Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, WIDE! Full and wide outside off, Rahul cannot reach to this one. |
| Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, FOUR! Nice shot! Full delivery on off, Rahul lofts it over covers for a boundary. |
| 18.4 : Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, Short delivery on off, Rahul cuts it through point. Two runs taken. |
| 18.5 : Mustafizur Rahman to KL Rahul, Back of a length on off, Rahul punches it through covers for a single. |
| 18.6 : Mustafizur Rahman to Shahrukh Khan, FOUR! That is smashed! Short delivery on middle, Shahrukh Khan pulls it over square leg for a boundary. 15 runs from the over! |
| 7.1 : Ben Stokes to KL Rahul, FOUR! Good shot! Full delivery on off, Rahul lofts it over covers for a boundary. |
| Chetan Sakariya to KL Rahul, FOUR! That is hammered! Full delivery on off, Rahul lofts it over covers for a boundary. |
| 19.2 : Chetan Sakariya to KL Rahul, OUT! CAUGHT! Excellent catch by Rahul Tewatia! Full on middle, Rahul lofts it over mid-wicket but does not get the distance on it. It goes towards the fielder where Tewatia tries to take the catch but realises that the momentum pushes him beyond the boundary. He comes back and takes the catch. |
| Who will walk out to bat now? It is Jhye Richardson! |
| 19.3 : Chetan Sakariya to Shahrukh Khan, Full and outside off, Khan looks to go big but misses it. |
| 19.4 : Chetan Sakariya to Shahrukh Khan, Short delivery on middle, Khan pulls it over mid-wicket for a single. |
| 19.5 : Chetan Sakariya to Jhye Richardson, Back of a length outside off, Richardson looks to smash it but misses it. |
| 19.6 : Chetan Sakariya to Jhye Richardson, OUT! CAUGHT! Sakariya gets his third wicket! Full on middle, Richardson lofts it over mid off but does not get the distance on it. It goes towards long off where Chris Morris takes a comfortable catch. PUNJAB END WITH 221/6! |
| Chetan Sakariya to KL Rahul, FOUR! Boundary to finish the over. Exciting but expensive first over for Chetan Sakariya! He misses his line and bowls it on the pads. It is quick from Sakariya. Rahul clips it fine down the leg side. Away from the diving, Sanju Samson and the ball races to the fence. |
| Wow! What a batting display we have witnessed here in the first innings! Take a bow, KL Rahul! He has once again lit up the tournament with his presence and the Punjab skipper has started the season leading the pack. It was a masterclass in power-hitting from the Punjab batters! A tremendous final over from debutant Chetan Sakariya though has minimized a lot of damage and kept Rajasthan in this game with an outside chance. Sanju Samson's captaincy debut has started with a torrid first half and h |
| A tough outing with the ball for the Rajasthan bowlers. On a pitch that is superb to bat on and when the batters are going after the bowling, the bowlers need support from the fielders but unfortunately, they did not get that. The three batters who caused the most destruction, Rahul, Gayle and Hooda, were all dropped. 8 bowlers were used by Sanju Samson and barring Riyan Parag and debutant Chetan Sakariya, everyone else went for at least 10 rpo. Special mentions to Chetan Sakariya. The debutant |
| One of the star for Punjab with the bat, Deepak Hooda is caught for a quick chat. He says that he is happy with the innings. Adds that it was planned that he will bat at No. 4. Mentions that he bats in this position in domestic cricket. Ends by saying that they should be able to defend this total. |
| So Rajasthan have a mammoth task in hand if they are to avoid defeat in their opening game. They chased down a similar total last season. A game that was coming out of age game for Rahul Tewatia. Different pitch, different venue and certainly different bowling attack for Punjab. Will Rajasthan be able to repeat their last season's heroics? Punjab will certainly hope that is not the case. The batters have done their job, now can the bowlers deliver? Join us for the chase to find out. |
| Being put into bat, Punjab did not get off to a good start as they lost Mayank Agarwal early. Gayle struggled initially but that was just the calm before the storm. Gayle then started to find his flow while Rahul was going around his merry ways. When Gayle departed on 40, it looked like Rajasthan would have some respite. That was just a false alarm as Hooda came out smelling blood. He showed why he is so highly rated in the Indian domestic circuit and regarded as one of the fiercest hitters. Hoo |
| We are back for the chase! The Punjab players are in a huddle with their skipper giving final words of motivation for his troops. |
| 0.1 : Mohammed Shami to Ben Stokes, Ohh! Almost a boundary to begin but Stokes has hit it too straight. Shami starts with a full ball around off. Stokes drives it straight down the ground but it hits the stumps at the other end. |
| 0.2 : Mohammed Shami to Ben Stokes, Good length delivery on the pads, Stokes tucks it to the on side. |
| 0.3 : Skipper, Sanju Samson walks out at 3. |
| 0.4 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, Length ball on off, Samson starts with a solid block. |
| 0.5 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Rajasthan get their first runs of the season! Skipper Sanju Samson is off the mark in style. On the pads, Samson flicks it uppishly but well over short mid-wicket and gets a boundary. |
| 0.6 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, Excellent first over from Shami. Just a boundary off the first over. Good length ball on off, Samson defends it to see off the first. |
| 1.1 : Jhye Richardson to Manan Vohra, WIDE! False start for Jhye Richardson! He misses his line and bowls one down the leg side. Manan looks to flick but misses. Wided by the umpire. |
| 0.6 : Who will share the new ball? It will be Jhye Richardson. |
| 1.1 : Jhye Richardson to Manan Vohra, SIX! Manan Vohra gets off the mark for Rajasthan with a glorious biggie. He warmed the bench the whole of last season but now he has been given a chance to impress and he has started with a bang. On the pads and full, Manan uses his wrists and elegantly lofts his flick over fine leg for a biggie. |
| 1.2 : Jhye Richardson to Manan Vohra, Length ball on off, Vohra defends it. |
| 1.3 : Jhye Richardson to Manan Vohra, Good length ball coming in to the right-hander. Vohra keeps it out. |
| 1.4 : Jhye Richardson to Manan Vohra, FOUR! Excellent shot but a delivery asking to be punished! Richardson strays on the pads. It is an easy ball for any Indian batter. He once again uses his wrists and flicks it behind square leg for a boundary. |
| 0.3 : Mohammed Shami to Ben Stokes, OUT! CAUGHT! A collision but Shami has managed to take the catch and the dangerous Ben Stokes has departed without troubling the scorers. A massive blow for Rajasthan and a big wicket for Punjab. Kumble would have told them to get rid of Stokes as soon as possible and Shami, the man returning from injury has sent big Ben back in the very first over. Length ball on middle. Stokes looks to pull but the ball is not short enough for that. It takes the leading edge |
| 1.5 : Jhye Richardson to Manan Vohra, Much better! Good length ball around off, Manan looks to play it to mid on but closes the face of the bat a fraction early. Luckily for Vohra, it falls well short of mid on. |
| 1.6 : Jhye Richardson to Manan Vohra, IN THE AIR AND DROPPED! Murugan Ashwin is the culprit! Fullish ball outside off, Manan Vohra swings at it but does not time it. He gets it off the outer half of his bat and it goes high in the air. It flies to the right of third man. Murugan Ashwin there moves to that side. The ball pops in and out of his hands. He juggles but fails to hold onto it. Two taken. A lifeline for Vohra and just like Rajasthan, Punjab have dropped a catch too. |
| 2.1 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, Good length delivery on off, Samson keeps it out. |
| 2.2 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, Full on middle, Samson plays it to mid on. |
| 2.3 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, Ouch that must have hurt! Shami hits the deck hard around leg. Samson looks to pull but misses and gets hit on the inside of his pad on his knee. That surely must have stung the Rajasthan skipper. |
| The physio is out now to have a look at Sanju Samson! |
| 2.4 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Beautiful! What a shot! This is the reason why Samson is so highly rated. Full outside off, Sanju gets on his front foot and drives it elegantly through covers for a boundary. |
| 2.5 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, Better from Shami! Shami pulls his length back around off. Samson punches it awkwardly to mid off. |
| 2.6 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Gets enough on it. Good length delivery on middle and leg, Samson pulls it but the ball is actually not there for that shot. The Rajasthan skipper manages to get enough wood on it and get it past mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 3.1 : Arshdeep Singh to Manan Vohra, Good length delivery on off, Vohra keeps it out. |
| 3.2 : Arshdeep Singh to Manan Vohra, OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Good return catch from Arshdeep Singh! Full on middle, Vohra smashes it uppishly towards the bowler where Arshdeep Singh takes an excellent return catch. |
| Jos Buttler is the new man in. A lot will depend on this pair now as Rajasthan are off to a tumultuous start. If they are to get anywhere close to this target this pair will need to bat a long way. |
| 3.3 : Arshdeep Singh to Jos Buttler, Length delivery on off, Buttler punches it through covers for a single. |
| 3.4 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, DROPPED! KL Rahul is the culprit! Good length ball outside off, Samson looks to drive but gets an outside edge. It goes towards the keeper where Rahul dives and tries to take the catch but spills it. Will this prove costly for Punjab? |
| 3.5 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, Back of a length on off, Samson pushes it to point. |
| 3.6 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Nicely played! Length delivery on off, Samson guides it past short third man for a boundary. |
| 4.1 : Riley Meredith to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Good shot! Full delivery on off, Buttler drives it through mid off for a boundary. |
| 4.2 : Riley Meredith is into the attack. |
| Riley Meredith to Jos Buttler, FOUR! That is smashed! Length delivery on off, Buttler smashes it through point for a boundary. |
| 4.3 : Riley Meredith to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Nice improvisation! Length ball on middle, Buttler plays a paddle scoop towards fine leg for a boundary. |
| 4.4 : Riley Meredith to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Fourth consecutive boundary for Jos Buttler! Full and outside off, Buttler drives it uppishly towards covers for a boundary. |
| 4.5 : Riley Meredith to Jos Buttler, Good length delivery on off, Buttler pushes it towards point for a single. |
| 4.6 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, Full on middle, Samson flicks it through mid-wicket for a run. 18 runs from the over! |
| 5.1 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, FOUR! That is dispatched! Short delivery on middle, Samson pulls it over mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 5.2 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, Full delivery on off, Samson drives it through point for a single. |
| 5.3 : Arshdeep Singh to Jos Buttler, BEATEN! Slower delivery outside off, Buttler looks to slash at it but misses it. |
| 5.4 : Arshdeep Singh to Jos Buttler, Full toss on off, Buttler pushes it towards mid off for a single. |
| 5.5 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Too easy for Samson! Full toss outside off, Samson drives it through point for a boundary. |
| 5.6 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, Short delivery outside off, Samson cuts it through point for a single. End of the Powerplay. RAJASTHAN ARE 59/2 AFTER 6 OVERS! |
| STRATEGIC TIME-OUT! Rajasthan have lost two wickets but Samson and Buttler are going strong. They need this partnership to continue for a longer time. On the other hand, Punjab have dropped some catches and will look to improve on it. They have got the big wicket of Ben Stokes but will look to take wickets after the break to put pressure on Rajasthan. Murugan Ashwin is into the attack. |
| 6.1 : Murugan Ashwin to Jos Buttler, FOUR! Buttler makes good use of the Free Hit! Tossed up delivery on middle, Buttler comes down the track and lofts it over the bowler's head for a boundary. |
| Murugan Ashwin to Jos Buttler, Short delivery on middle, Samson pulls it through mid-wicket for a single. The third umpire calls it a no ball as Ashwin oversteps. Free Hit coming up! |
| 6.2 : Murugan Ashwin to Jos Buttler, Floated delivery on middle, Buttler flicks it through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 6.3 : Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, Full on off, Samson pushes it to covers. |
| 6.4 : Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, Yorker on middle, Samson does well to keep it out. |
| 6.5 : Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, Googly on middle, Samson looks to pull but misses it and gets hit on the pads. The bowler appeals for lbw but the umpire denies it. Punjab think for a review but decide against it. It goes towards the leg side. The batsmen take a leg bye. |
| 6.6 : Murugan Ashwin to Jos Buttler, Flighted delivery on middle, Buttler looks to flick but gets it off the pads. It goes towards the leg side. The batsmen take a leg bye. |
| 7.1 : Jhye Richardson is back on. |
| Jhye Richardson to Jos Buttler, Full delivery on off, Buttler drives it through mid off for a single. |
| 7.2 : Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, Short delivery on off, Samson punches it through mid on for a single. |
| 7.3 : Jhye Richardson to Jos Buttler, OUT! BOWLED! Richardson gets his first wicket! Yorker on middle, Buttler looks to dig it out but misses it and gets bowled. He missed it completely. |
| 7.4 : Jhye Richardson to Shivam Dube, FOUR! Cracking shot! Short delivery on off, Dube cuts it through point. Shami in the deep tries to stop it with his foot but fails to do so. It races away to the fence. |
| 7.3 : Shivam Dube is the new batsman in. |
| 7.5 : Jhye Richardson to Shivam Dube, Back of a length on off, Dube punches it through covers. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 7.6 : Jhye Richardson to Shivam Dube, Short ball outside off, Dube punches it through covers for a couple. |
| 8.1 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, SIX! That is dispatched! Full delivery on off, Samson lofts it over long off for a maximum. |
| Riley Meredith is back on. |
| 8.2 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, Length delivery on middle, Samson flicks it to mid-wicket. |
| 8.3 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, Short delivery on middle, Samson looks to pull but gets a top edge. It goes towards long off where Mayank Agarwal tries to go for the catch but spills it. The batsmen get a single. |
| 8.4 : Riley Meredith to Shivam Dube, Good length delivery on middle, Dube flicks it to mid-wicket. |
| 8.5 : Riley Meredith to Shivam Dube, Back of a length outside off, Dube guides it towards third man for a single. |
| 8.6 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, Length ball on off, Samson guides it towards third man for a run. |
| 9.1 : Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, Tossed up delivery on middle, Samson pushes it through mid on for a single. |
| 0.0 : Murugan Ashwin is back on. |
| 9.2 : Murugan Ashwin to Shivam Dube, Full on middle, Dube pushes it through mid on for a single. |
| 9.3 : Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, WIDE! Down the leg side, Samson leaves it alone. |
| Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, WIDE! Ashwin bowls it down the leg side, Samson does not bother to play at that. |
| Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, Short delivery on middle, Samson punches it over mid on for a single. |
| 9.4 : Murugan Ashwin to Shivam Dube, Floated delivery on middle, Dube pushes it through mid on for a run. |
| 9.5 : Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, Tossed up ball on middle, Samson comes down the track and looks to go big but gets an inside edge onto this pads. |
| 9.6 : Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, Loopy delivery on off, Samson pushes it through mid off. Two runs taken. |
| 10.1 : Riley Meredith to Shivam Dube, Length ball on middle, Dube knocks it to long off and rotates the strike. |
| 10.2 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, SIX! Sanju Samson is continuing to score but Dube will need to support him. Short ball on the body, Samson hooks it over fine leg for a boundary. |
| 10.3 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, Length ball on middle, Samson whips it away from short mid-wicket and gets a brace. |
| 10.4 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, FOUR! FIFTY FOR SAMSON! This is a brilliant start for the captaincy with the bat for Samson but he needs to carry on. The longer he bats, the greater the chance for Rajasthan to win it. Outrageous shot from Samson! Meredith bangs it short, Samson jumps and places it over the keeper's head for a boundary. |
| 10.5 : Review time! An appeal for lbw! Sanju Samson is the man in question. Ultra Edge shows there is no bat involved. Ball Tracker shows that it is missing the stumps. |
| Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, NOT OUT! It looked high to the naked eye and replays show that it was indeed too high. Meredith hits the deck hard and makes the ball come in from off. Samson hops and looks to flick. He misses and gets hit high on the pad. There is an appeal from the Punjab players but it is not the most convincing of appeals. Samson strolls to the other end but in the middle of the run the umpire raises his finger. Samson cannot believe it and opts to review it. Replay ro |
| 10.6 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, On the pads, Sanju whips it to the on side and keeps the strike. |
| 11.1 : Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, Tossed up delivery on off, Samson drives it through mid off for a single. |
| 11.2 : Murugan Ashwin to Shivam Dube, Full delivery outside off, Dube drives it to covers. |
| 11.3 : Murugan Ashwin to Shivam Dube, FOUR! That is powered! Flighted delivery on middle, Dube plays a slog sweep over mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 11.4 : Murugan Ashwin to Shivam Dube, Floated delivery on off, Dube taps it towards point for a single. |
| 11.5 : Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, Short delivery on off, Samson cuts it towards point where the fielder misfields and concedes a single. |
| 11.6 : Murugan Ashwin to Shivam Dube, Short delivery on off, Dube punches it through point for a run. |
| 12.1 : Arshdeep Singh to Shivam Dube, FOUR! Easy for Samson! Low full toss but at a good height. It is on off, Dube hits it straight down the ground for a boundary. Brings up the 50-run stand as well. |
| 0.0 : Arshdeep Singh is back on. |
| 12.2 : Arshdeep Singh to Shivam Dube, Bouncer! Very well-directed. Dube mistimes his pull but at no man's land at mid-wicket. Single taken. |
| 12.3 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, Very good ball! Dipping low full toss on off. Samson can just whip it to the on side for one. |
| 12.4 : Arshdeep Singh to Shivam Dube, OUT! CAUGHT! Hooda is in the action once again. What a game he is having. Arshdeep's reintroduction into the attack does the trick for Punjab. He has got Shivam Dube. This was his time. He had set himself and should have made it count but Dube fails to grab the opportunity like Hooda grabbed. Fullish ball on off, Dube looks to smack it over long off. He gets a lot of height on it but not the distance. Hooda at long off, runs to his right and takes a good cat |
| 12.5 : Riyan Parag is the new batsman in. |
| Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, On the pads, Samson flicks it to the on side for a single. |
| 12.6 : Arshdeep Singh to Riyan Parag, FOUR! Exquisite from Parag! This young man is a special talent. First ball and he has played a shot that will definitely go in the highlight reels. Full on off, Parag gets on his front foot ad drives it through extra cover for a majestic boundary. |
| 13.1 : Mohammed Shami is back on. |
| Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, Excellent ball! Yorker outside off, Samson looks to jam it out but misses. |
| 13.2 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Lucky one for Samson but Rajasthan need more of these does not matter how it comes. Full on the pads, Samson looks to flick but gets an inside edge, it clips his pads and goes fine down the leg side for a boundary. |
| 13.3 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, Excellent from Shami! Almost a yorker on middle and leg. Sanju can just place it to long on for one. |
| 13.4 : Mohammed Shami to Riyan Parag, SIX! WOW! This man is a supreme talent! Incredible from Riyan Parag! Full on middle, not a very bad ball, but Riyan Parag just picks it up and lifts his flick over mid-wicket for a biggie. |
| 13.5 : Mohammed Shami to Riyan Parag, Typical pace bowler's response from Shami! He bangs it short on off. Parag hops and taps it to the off side for a single. |
| 13.6 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, Full toss. This one seems to have slipped out of Shami's hand. It is close to the waist height. Samson milks it to long on and trudges to the other end. He looks at the square leg umpire but he is happy with the ball. 81 needed off 36 balls. |
| 14.1 : Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, Full around off, Samson plays it to long on and gets a single. Need to start firing more regularly do Rajasthan. |
| 14.2 : Jhye Richardson to Riyan Parag, Excellent ball. Very full, almost a yorker on off. Parag cannot get under it and can just milk it to long off for one. |
| 14.3 : Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Samson does not time it well but places it brilliantly. Slower delivery outside off, it is the back of the hand slower ball. Samson slices it over covers and away from the man in the deep for a boundary. |
| 14.4 : Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, SIX! BEAUTIFUL FROM SANJU! Low full toss on middle. Jhye misses the yorker by a fraction and Samson punishes it perfectly. Low full toss on middle, Samson picks it up and lifts it over square leg for a biggie. |
| 14.5 : Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, Much better from Jhye Richardson! Yorker wide outside off, it is a slower ball too. Sanju chops it to the off side and takes a single. |
| 0.0 : Jhye Richardson is back on. 2-0-23-1 are his figures so far. |
| 14.6 : Jhye Richardson to Riyan Parag, Dot to finish the over. Every dot is like a diamond here for Punjab. Slower ball once again and it is once again very full wide outside off. Parag swings hard but connects with nothing. |
| 15.1 : Murugan Ashwin is back on. |
| Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, SIX! SMASHED! Perfect start to the over. A leggie at this stage is a gamble. Flighted full, in the arc for Samson. He slaughters it straight down the ground for a biggie. |
| 15.2 : Murugan Ashwin to Sanju Samson, Very nice says KL Rahul from behind the stumps. He bowls it slower and in the good length area. Samson whips it against the turn to deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| An appeal for stumping! Riyan Parag is the man in question. Replays show that his back leg is inside the crease. |
| 15.3 : Murugan Ashwin to Riyan Parag, NOT OUT! Riyan Parag's back leg has gone nowhere. Short in length. It is a googly. Parag swings hard at it but misses. Rahul whips the bails. The square leg umpire goes upstairs but finds nothing. |
| 15.4 : Murugan Ashwin to Riyan Parag, MISTIMED BUT SIX! This is insane! Floated delivery outside off, Parag swings and looks to smack it over long on. It takes the outer half of his bat. It looks like Hooda at long off has a chance but no he does not. It has enough on it to sail over him and over the ropes. |
| 15.5 : Murugan Ashwin to Riyan Parag, SIX! This is right out of the screws! Flighted around off, Parag gets down on his knee and this time hits it where he wants. He wanted to smash it over long off and he smashes it over long off for a biggie. |
| 15.6 : Murugan Ashwin to Riyan Parag, Single to end the over. 20 from it and Punjab are under pressure now. Back-to-back 20-run overs changed the game for Punjab. Is this the one that turns the game in Rajasthan's favor. Flatter on middle, Parag whips it to the leg side and keeps the strike. 48 needed in 24 balls now. |
| STRATEGIC TIME-OUT! Rajasthan have been going strong. Samson and Parag have been going strong. Riyan Parag is on fire here. On the other hand, Punjab need to break this partnership to make a comeback into the match. They need wickets in clusters to win this match. |
| 16.1 : Mohammed Shami to Riyan Parag, WIDE! Faulty start for Shami! He bangs it slightly shorter but misses his line and bowls it down the leg side. Parag swings but gets nothing. |
| Mohammed Shami to Riyan Parag, Better from Shami! Back of a length delivery again from the pacer but this is on middle and leg. Parag comes inside and looks to lift it over fine leg but misses. |
| 16.2 : Mohammed Shami to Riyan Parag, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Shami was brought in to take a wicket and the experienced man has delivered. Another short ball but this one is skiddier, pacy, and also bang on the money. Too close to Parag's body. He looks to hook but gets a glove on it which goes straight to the keeper. Rahul takes the catch and is this the over that changes the fate of this game? End of a fantastic knock from Parag but is it good enough? |
| Rahul Tewatia is the new batsman in. |
| 16.3 : Mohammed Shami to Rahul Tewatia, Yorker on off. Tewatia cannot do much but just jam it back to the left of the bowler. |
| 16.4 : Mohammed Shami to Rahul Tewatia, WIDE! Misses his line this time. He bowls it full but down the leg side. |
| Mohammed Shami to Rahul Tewatia, Just a single now. Full on middle, Tewatia punches it straight down the ground for one. |
| 16.5 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Samson did not even move. Shami misses his yorker by a bit and he ends up bowling a juicy half-volley. Samson smashes it away from long on and gets a boundary. |
| 16.6 : Mohammed Shami to Sanju Samson, Mistimed but safe! Excellent over especially in the context of this game. Not just 8 runs off it but also the big wicket of Parag. The last ball is on a length. Samson slices his pull towards mid-wicket for a single. |
| 17.1 : Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Beautifully played! The skipper is setting an example in his very first game. Slower ball outside off, Samson frees his arms and slices it over extra cover for a boundary. |
| 0.0 : Jhye Richardson is back on. |
| 17.2 : Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, SIX! SMOKED! Moves to 98 and becomes the highest scorer by a captain on his captaincy debut. Full on off, a half-tracker, Samson smokes it over long off for a biggie. |
| 17.3 : Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, FOUR! HUNDRED FOR SANJU SAMSON! His first as skipper, third overall and he becomes the first man to score a ton this season. What a phenomenal knock this has been from the Kerala lad adopted with love by the Rajasthan franchise. The skipper has led from the front and kept this game alive. Full and wide outside off, Samson places it past short third man to reach his ton. A huge applause from his teammates as they know this gem of a guy has played a gem of an |
| 17.4 : Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, Better. Yorker on middle, Samson flicks it through mid-wicket for a brace. |
| 17.5 : Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, WIDE! Jhye's tough night continues. He misses his line and bowls it down the leg side. Samson looks to flick but misses. |
| Jhye Richardson to Sanju Samson, Yorker! Much better. It is on middle. Samson manages to nudge it to long on for one. Brings up the 200 for Rajasthan. |
| 17.6 : Jhye Richardson to Rahul Tewatia, Very full outside leg. Follows Tewatia as he shuffles outside his stumps. Rahul places it to the on side and keeps the strike. 19 off the over and Rajasthan need 21 off the final 2 overs to win this game. |
| Crucial over. The penultimate over of the innings and it is going to be Riley Meredith who will bowl it. |
| 18.1 : Riley Meredith to Rahul Tewatia, OUT! CAUGHT! Meredith gets his first wicket! Full and outside off, Tewatia looks to go big but gets an outside edge. It goes towards the keeper where Rahul takes a comfortable catch. |
| 0.0 : The most expensive buy in the history of the league, Chris Morris is out to bat. |
| 18.2 : Riley Meredith to Chris Morris, Length delivery on off, Morris looks to punch but gets a bottom edge to the off side. |
| 18.3 : Riley Meredith to Chris Morris, Short delivery outside off, Morris punches it through point for a single. |
| 18.4 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, SIX! That is hammered! Short delivery on middle, Samson pulls it over mid-wicket for a maximum. |
| 18.5 : Riley Meredith to Sanju Samson, Back of a length on off, Samson punches it through covers for a run. |
| 18.6 : Riley Meredith to Chris Morris, PLAY AND A MISS! Full and outside off, Morris looks to go big but misses it. Rajasthan need 13 runs in 6 balls! |
| Who will bowl the final over? It will be Arshdeep Singh! |
| 19.1 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, PLAY AND A MISS! Full and outside off, Samson looks to swing at it but misses it. |
| 19.2 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, Full delivery outside off, Samson lofts it over point for a single. |
| 19.3 : Arshdeep Singh to Chris Morris, Full toss outside off, Morris drives it towards covers for a single. |
| 19.4 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, SIX! That is clobbered! Full and outside off, Samson lofts it over covers for a biggie. |
| 19.5 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, What has Sanju Samson done here? He has refused to take the run and now Rajasthan need a biggie to win the game while a boundary will take it to a Super Over! Full around off, Samson hits it to long off. Morris comes for a run but he is sent back. |
| 19.6 : Arshdeep Singh to Sanju Samson, OUT! CAUGHT! Arshdeep Singh gets his third wicket! Full delivery on off, Samson lofts it over covers but does not get the distance on it. It goes towards the fielder where Deepak Hooda takes a good catch. PUNJAB WIN BY 4 RUNS! |
| What a fantastic game! Wow! What a fantastic chase! This game promised to beat the Monday blues and hasn't it lived up to the expectation! A majestic ton from the new Rajasthan skipper, Sanju Samson cannot see his side over the line as Arshdeep Singh has bowled a fabulous final over and won the game for Punjab! New name, new players, and the Punjab franchise have started the campaign with a thrilling win. |
| Rajasthan skipper, Sanju Samson is up for a chat. Sanju Samson, says he is disappointed with the loss as it was a close one. Adds that he could not time the last ball properly and that is why he got out. Mentions that they played well and gave a good fight. Further says that it is all about timing and if you get that you can hit the ball properly. |
| Earlier in the evening, Punjab were asked to bat and bat they did. KL Rahul led from the front and his 91 along with 40 from Gayle put Punjab in a strong position. But Hooda's 64 off just 28 balls proved to be the main difference as Punjab finished with a massive total of 221. A score that was massive and just about enough to win the game for Punjab. It was a tough evening for the Rajasthan bowlers but debutant, Chetan Sakariya showed his skills and talent and his final over in the first innings |
| Punjab skipper, KL Rahul, says that the heart rate was high but says he never stopped believing as they knew a couple of wickets would get them back in the game. Tells the game went so deep as they dropped a few sitters. Tells he was happy with the bowlers. Rahul says they are used to this and feels a game like this brings the team together. Admits they made some mistake. Feels they bowled well in patches but is hopeful that they learn from their mistake as this is a young team and they need to |
| For his brilliant century, Sanju Samson is named the Player of the Match. Samson says that he was struggling in the first half to get going. Tells he accepted they were bowling well and slowly got into their rhythm. Sanju says he really enjoyed his shot but came back to reality soon. Tells when he is in the zone, things naturally happen for him and he is very happy to play in that manner. Samson says it is about trusting oneself and he just believed in himself. Samson says his mind was playing n |
| That is it from this game! KL Rahul's Punjab get off to a winning start albeit in a nail-biting manner. Sanju Samson's captaincy career starts with a heartbreaking loss but they will take a lot of heart from this game and look to bounce back in their next game. On Tuesday, 13th April, 2-time champions, Kolkata take on 5-time champions and defending champions Mumbai. That promises to be a great game. That match begins at 1930 local (1400 GMT). Make sure you join us for that one. Till then, goodby |
| Chasing a massive total of 222, Rajasthan got off to a terrible start as they lost Stokes in the very first over and Manan Vohra not too long after. Buttler and Samson though kept things going with a 45-run stand before Buttler departed. Samson, the skipper, held one end like glue. His blistering century along with vital contributions from Dube and Parag kept the Rajasthan side in the game. Samson's 119 though was not good enough as they fell just short, right in front of the finishing line. |
| Take a bow, Arshdeep Singh! In only his second season, the youngster showed nerves of steel, calmness of a veteran, and execution of a superstar! His superb final over has seen Punjab start the season with a fantastic win. Shami and Arshdeep were the star with the ball picking up 2 and 3 wickets respectively and also going for just 68 from their 8 overs. Murugan Ashwin bowled well but his final over spoilt his figures. The Australian duo of Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson had a tough outing e |
| Punjab's hero of the final over, Arshdeep Singh is now caught for a chat! Arshdeep says that his heart was beating a bit. Adds that he tried to execute his plans and it paid off. Mentions that the captain has been supportive and the staff have also supported him well. Further says that his form was good in the 20-over format and that helped him. Arshdeep also says that it is good to get the 2 points. |
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