5 moments that shaped the thriller between PBKS & RR

Punjab Kings start slow once again

Punjab entered the clash tonight having the second-worst powerplay run rate among all teams (8.1). In Shikhar Dhawan’s absence, they started slow once again, scoring just 38 in the powerplay, with Jonny Bairstow (15 off 19) struggling for rhythm. They ended up posting the lowest score of the season at the 10-over mark (53) and lost four wickets on top of it.

Ashutosh makes RR pay for the drop

Ashutosh Sharma would have departed for 9 (7) had Avesh/Samson not made a meal of a top-edge, but RR ended up spilling the in-form youngster in the 19th over. And Ashutosh made the Royals pay big time for the drop, finishing with 31 off 16 balls to take Punjab to 147/8. As it turned out, Punjab amassed 61 runs off their final five overs.

Rajasthan’s Tanush Kotian experiment fails

In Jos Buttler’s absence, RR opted to open with Mumbai’s Tanush Kotian. The right-hander amassed heaps of runs in the Ranji Trophy batting at No.10 but looked overwhelmed and out of answers on his IPL debut tonight in Mullanpur. 

He helped RR see off the powerplay without losing a single wicket but ended up overstaying his welcome. He eventually registered a painful 31-ball 24. RR were 56/1 off 8.2 overs when Kotian got out.

Rabada’s spell helps PBKS cut RR open

Punjab picked three wickets in the 7-15 phase to storm back into the contest, and the wrecker-in-chief for them was Kagiso Rabada, who dismissed both Yashasvi Jaiswal (39) and Sanju Samson (18). Rabada banged the ball into the surface to make life difficult for the RR batters and ended up bowling his most economical spell in a PBKS shirt.

Rabada’s spell helped Punjab trigger a collapse: RR slipped from 82/1 to 115/5.

Shimron Hetmyer wins it for the Royals 

33 needed off 16 balls, only five wickets in hand. RR were in serious trouble at one point; all the momentum was with Punjab Kings as well. 

This was when Shimron Hetmyer walked in and won the game for the visitors. He hit Harshal Patel for 4 & 6 in the 18th over to bring the equation down to 20 off 12 balls.

Then, taking strike in the final over with RR needing 10, he went 6, 2, 6 vs Arshdeep Singh — after playing a couple of dots — to seal the two points for the Royals.