RR vs PBKS IPL 2023: Punjab survives Jurel scare to beat Rajasthan by five runs

Sam Curran defended 16 runs off the final over as Punjab Kings eked out a slim five-run win towards Rajasthan Royals in an exhilarating IPL match on the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday.

Impact participant Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer dragged Rajasthan again into the competition with an excellent 61-run partnership off 26 balls for the seventh wicket. However, Punjab held its nerve with Curran bowling an excellent final over to disclaim Rajasthan a house win.

Australian pacer Nathan Ellis (4/30) starred with the ball, as Punjab struck common blows to derail Rajasthan’s chase and file its second win on the trot.

Earlier, Punjab continued with its aggressive method with the bat as openers Prabhsimran Singh (60) and Shikhar Dhawan (86) delivered the massive blows to prop their aspect to a complete of 197.

Dhawan, after beginning slowly, turned it up a notch after attending to his half-century as he introduced out his reverse sweeps and scoops.

A free-flowing Prabhsimran was snug towards every little thing the Rajasthan bowling needed to supply and needed to stroll again solely after a superb diving catch by Jos Buttler off Jason Holder’s bowling.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who got here in at one-down, was pressured to retire damage after he acquired in the way in which of a thunderous drive from Dhawan.

Jitesh Sharma (27) and Dhawan ensured that Punjab wasn’t slowed down by Rajapaksa’s unfortunate departure, because it targetted Yuzvendra Chahal, with the leggie ending up with figures of 1/50.

Rajasthan thought it pulled the sport again within the loss of life, because it gave away solely 45 runs within the final 5 overs. But in the long run, its effort proved to be inadequate in entrance of a concerted effort from Punjab.

Rajasthan’s chase by no means actually took off as its rejigged prime order – R. Ashwin was despatched in because the opener as an alternative of Jos Buttler – failed to fireplace.

Buttler was unfortunate to depart after he edged an Ellis supply into his pads, just for it to pop up for the bowler to finish a return catch, whereas Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ashwin provided a lot less complicated catches to make their means again.

It was skipper Sanju Samson (42) who injected the Rajasthan’s chase with some vigour as he deployed the reduce shot to nice impact towards the Kings’ spinners. But Ellis struck the massive blow once more as he had Samson caught at lengthy off.

Local boy Riyan Parag contributed some lusty blows, a lot to the enjoyment of an excited crowd earlier than he was caught within the deep off Ellis.

Jurel thought he had swung the sport into Rajasthan’s nook within the penultimate over as he smoked Arshdeep Singh for a few boundaries and a six, however Curran sealed the sport with a decent final over.