The match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals was the first match after the IPL’s suspension ended. Captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and backed his team’s strength to bat first and set a huge target on the board. Their two uncapped openers, Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, failed to provide a good start. While the former got out for 21 runs in just 10 balls, Arya scored only 9.
While Punjab was three wickets down for just 34 runs, captain Iyer and Nehal Wadhera took charge of the innings and added almost 70 runs together in quick succession. However, the Rajasthan Royals kept themselves in the game by taking wickets at regular intervals. Debutant Mitchell Owen was dismissed for a duck, and Iyer also couldn’t capitalize on his start, scoring only 30 runs.
Vadhera emerged as a true hero for PBKS, scoring 70 runs off just 37 balls with 5 fours and 5 sixes. Shashank Singh and Azmatullah Omarzai gave Punjab a strong finish, with the former scoring a fifty. Preity Zinta’s team posted a huge total of 219, the highest ever at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. RR needed a blistering start, and that’s exactly what they got, as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 60 runs in just 4 overs.
However, Harpreet Brar, who came in as an impact substitute replacing captain Iyer, removed both openers. RR captain Sanju Samson, who was back after recovering from an injury, failed to make an impact and was dismissed after scoring 20 runs. Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel kept RR in the match, as they needed 77 runs in the last 7 overs. Brar soon dismissed Parag as well, finishing his brilliant spell with 3 wickets for just 22 runs.
Jurel kept fighting, scoring another half-century in a big chase. However, Shimron Hetmyer couldn’t find his rhythm, putting RR in trouble. In the final over, the equation was the same as what the inaugural champions had against KKR, with 22 runs needed off the last 6 balls. Marco Jansen conceded just 11 runs in the final over and sealed the win for Punjab. With that victory, they have one foot in the playoffs with 17 points.
Fans express their opinion on Punjab Kings’ victory against Rajasthan Royals
Fans expected a close match between the two teams, as the Royals’ batters were in great form. However, they were left disappointed, as the inaugural champions once again failed to chase the target. Many fans even called them chokers for losing multiple matches from comfortable positions.
One fan wanted DC to win the next match so that the points table would look even more interesting. Another fan said that RR couldn’t capitalize on the strong start provided by their openers, Jaiswal and Suryavanshi. Many fans predicted that Punjab and Bengaluru could meet in the finals. Here are some of the top reactions from the fans:
One user was quite confident, saying that PBKS would win the trophy this time. Another user was confused as to why Zinta’s team hadn’t qualified yet. Many fans felt that KKR must have regretted their decision to let Iyer go, as he won them the trophy last year. Other fans compared him to Ricky Ponting.