IPL 2023: Punjab Kings stage sensational recovery to post 187 against Rajasthan Royals

In a thrilling encounter, Punjab Kings showcased an incredible batting display to reach a formidable total of 187 runs against Rajasthan Royals. Opting to bat first, Punjab Kings faced an early setback as Prabhsimran departed in the opening over. The powerplay witnessed the dismissals of Atharva Taide and Dhawan, leaving Punjab struggling at 50/4 in the seventh over after Saini cleaned up Livingstone.

However, Jitesh Sharma emerged as the savior for Punjab Kings with a quickfire knock of 44 off just 28 deliveries. His aggressive batting style, coupled with a crucial partnership of 64 runs with Curran, revived Punjab’s innings. Following Sharma’s departure, the run rate slowed down for a few overs, but Shahrukh Khan and Sam Curran found their rhythm.

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The penultimate over, bowled by Chahal, turned out to be disastrous for the Royals, as Shahrukh Khan unleashed a flurry of boundaries, accumulating 28 runs in the process. The final over saw Shahrukh Khan continuing his assault, adding three more boundaries to propel Punjab Kings to a competitive total.

Scoring 187 runs, Punjab Kings recognized that the pitch favored batsmen, making it essential for the Royals to chase down the target in 18.3 overs or fewer to surpass Royal Challengers Bangalore in net run rate. On the other hand, Punjab Kings needed to restrict Rajasthan Royals to 60 runs or below to maintain their advantage.

Notably, the partnership between Sam Curran and Shahrukh Khan was the highest sixth-wicket stand for Punjab Kings, showcasing their resilience and determination to set a challenging target for their opponents.

The innings progression of Punjab Kings demonstrated their ability to accelerate the run rate as the game progressed. Starting with a solid run rate of 10.50 in the first four overs, they faced a slight dip in momentum in the middle overs (5-9) with a run rate of 5. However, the final phase of their innings witnessed a remarkable surge, with a run rate of 11.36 from overs 10-20.

Now, the pressure is on Rajasthan Royals to chase down the total within the required timeframe or face the risk of falling short in net run rate calculations. The stage is set for an enthralling contest as both teams battle it out for a crucial victory in their pursuit of playoff qualification.

Shahrukh Khan: When I went in (to bat) we had lost wickets, so I thought of taking the game deep, that’s what I and Curran had a chat about. Fortunately we got 46 runs of the last two overs. Wickets in hand would have helped us to get more than 200, but I think this is a good score. I think if the new ball bowlers bowl in the right areas, it will help us. I thought Chahal would bowl earlier, but didn’t think Sanju (Samson) would keep him for the 19th over. This is a par score, because it seams at this venue, I think we can restrict them.