The Rajasthan Royals held off a spirited challenge from the Punjab Kings to win a low-scoring IPL thriller by three wickets with one ball remaining on Saturday.
Set just 148 for victory after Punjab Kings were restricted to 147-8 in their 20 overs, Rajasthan slumped to a precarious position despite a handy opening stand. Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep Singh impressed with the ball for Punjab, taking wickets at regular intervals.
However, Shimron Hetmyer's late flourish, including a six off the penultimate ball, secured a tense win for Rajasthan. The victory consolidates their position at the top of the IPL standings with five wins from six matches.
Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants are all in contention for the playoff spots, while Punjab Kings languish in eighth place with just two wins from six outings.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli remains the tournament's leading run-scorer (Orange Cap) with 319 runs in six matches. Rajasthan Royals' Yuzvendra Chahal continues to hold the Purple Cap for most wickets taken (11) in the season so far.
Here's the IPL Points Table 2024 after the PBKS vs RR game:
| Teams | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|
| Rajasthan Royals | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.767 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1.528 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.666 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.436 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.344 |
| Gujarat Titans | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.637 |
| Mumbai Indians | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.073 |
| Punjab Kings | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.218 |
| Delhi Capitals | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.975 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.124 |
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Here's the IPL Orange Cap leaderboard after the PBKS vs RR match:
| Player | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s |
|---|
| Virat Kohli | 6 | 6 | 2 | 319 | 113* | 79.75 | 225 | 141.77 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 12 |
| Riyan Parag | 6 | 6 | 2 | 284 | 84* | 71 | 183 | 155.19 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 18 |
| Sanju Samson | 6 | 6 | 2 | 264 | 82* | 66 | 170 | 155.29 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 11 |
| Shubman Gill | 6 | 6 | 1 | 255 | 89* | 51 | 168 | 151.78 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 9 |
| Sai Sudharsan | 6 | 6 | 0 | 226 | 45 | 37.67 | 177 | 127.68 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 3 |
Here's the IPL Purple Cap leaderboard after the PBKS vs RR match:
| Player | Mat | Inns | Ov | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w |
|---|
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 6 | 6 | 22 | 163 | 11 | 3/11 | 14.81 | 7.4 | 12.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 5 | 5 | 20 | 119 | 10 | 5/21 | 11.90 | 5.95 | 12.00 | 0 | 1 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 6 | 6 | 24 | 191 | 9 | 2/18 | 21.22 | 7.95 | 16.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | 4 | 4 | 16 | 128 | 9 | 4/29 | 14.22 | 8.00 | 10.66 | 1 | 0 |
| Khaleel Ahmed | 6 | 6 | 24 | 211 | 9 | 2/21 | 23.44 | 8.79 | 16.00 | 0 | 0 |
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RR vs PBKS Highlights :
The Rajasthan Royals defeated the Punjab Kings by three wickets in a close contest on Saturday, April 13, to return to winning ways in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Chasing a target of 148, RR crossed the finish line with just one ball to spare.
Royals Start Strong, Struggle in Middle Overs
RR got off to a promising start with Yashasvi Jaiswal and his new opening partner, Tanush Kotian, putting on a 56-run partnership for the first wicket. Liam Livingstone provided the breakthrough for Punjab, dismissing Kotian for 24. Jaiswal and Sanju Samson then added 26 runs for the second wicket before both departed in quick succession. Kagiso Rabada picked up both wickets, leaving RR in a precarious position at 89-3.
Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel Steady Ship Before Falling
Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel attempted to rebuild the innings with a 24-run stand, but their resistance was short-lived. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Parag, while Harshal Patel accounted for Jurel, reducing RR to 115-5 from a seemingly comfortable position of 113-3.
Hetmyer, Powell Take Control Before Late Scare
Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell steadied the ship once again with a 21-run partnership. Just as it seemed they would take RR home comfortably, Sam Curran dismissed both Powell and Keshav Maharaj in the 19th over, throwing the match wide open.
Hetmyer Finishes Strong in Tense Finish
Needing 10 runs in the final over, Hetmyer held his nerve and guided RR to victory.
Punjab Kings Restricted Earlier
Earlier, RR elected to bowl first and restricted PBKS to 147-8 in their 20 overs. With captain Shikhar Dhawan out with a niggle, Jonny Bairstow opened the innings alongside Atharva Taide. They added 27 runs for the first wicket before Avesh Khan dismissed Taide for 15. Yuzvendra Chahal then removed Prabhsimran Singh for 10, 14 runs later.
PBKS Collapse, Sharma Provides Late Spark
From that point on, PBKS wickets fell at regular intervals as they slumped to 70-5. Jitesh Sharma and Liam Livingstone offered some resistance with a 33-run stand, but Avesh Khan broke the partnership by dismissing Jitesh for 29. Livingstone got a start but was run out by Sanju Samson for 21 runs off 14 balls.
Ashutosh Sharma provided a late cameo to help PBKS reach a more respectable total. The right-hander smashed 31 runs off just 16 balls, including four boundaries and three sixes.
For RR, Avesh Khan and Keshav Maharaj were the pick of the bowlers, each taking two wickets.
