PBKS vs RR, IPL: Shikhar Dhawan, Nathan Ellis lead Punjab Kings to thrilling 5 run win

IPL 2023, 8th Match: Punjab Kings 197 for 4 (Dhawan 86*, Prabhsimran 60) beat Rajasthan Royals 192 for 7 (Samson 42, Ellis 4-30) by five runs

Guwahati’s IPL debut ended in defeat for the home team as Punjab Kings held off a late-innings rampage from Rajasthan Royals to make it two wins in a row and two defenses under lights. Even though Kings were helped by half-centuries from Prabhsimran Singh and Shikhar Dhawan, they were unable to surpass 200. However, Nathan Ellis’ four-wicket haul was crucial in keeping Royals from winning the chase.

Dhawan anchored Kings to a score that may have been only a par at the small Barsapara Stadium with an unbeaten 86 off 56 runs, becoming the third batter after David Warner and Virat Kohli to score 50 or more runs in the Indian Premier League. After Prabhsimran helped Kings reach 63 for 0 on the powerplay, only 45 runs were scored in the final five innings. The economical spells of Jason Holder and R Ashwin were crucial in preventing the game from ending prematurely.

During their chase, Royal then lost wickets frequently despite Sanju Samson’s sharp hitting. At 129 for 6 at the end of the 16th over, they appeared out of the game. However, Royals Impact Sub Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer went on a boundary spree, reducing the requirement to 16 off the final over bowled by Sam Curran. However, Royals suffered their first defeat of the 2023 season as a result of the record-setting international signing at the conclusion of an otherwise subpar performance.

Prabhsimran comes out swinging

As he had in Lords’ initial triumph over Kolkata Knight Riders, Prabhsimran set the early beat after his side were embedded. He spanked his first ball in KM Asif’s second over into the stand at deep backward square leg after clubbing Trent Boult’s third ball over mid-off. Prabhsimran helped himself to 18 more on the next ball from Asif, including three crashing fours and a six. He then hit Ashwin’s second and third balls for boundaries as well.

He had already scored 44 when he was dropped by Devdut Padikkal on the final power play ball, his fiery drive bursting through the fielder’s grasp as he threw his hands up. In the eighth over, from just 28 balls, Holder scored his first IPL fifty, and there was time for one more ferocious smash into the sight screen off Boult before Jos Buttler, sprinting in from long-off, skillfully took a miss that was meant to send Holder over the leg side.

Shikhar Dhawan gets it done

Dhawan went through the gears with ease during the second half of the innings, despite playing second fiddle to Prabhsimran in their initial stand. He went from 30 off 30 with three boundaries to a fifty in 36 balls. He particularly hurt Yuzvendra Chahal, who was bowled out for 6-1-4-4-2-4 on his way to 33 from 14 balls against the Kings captain.

Dhawan’s charge empowered Lords to strip 57 runs in a four-over range, having been momentarily checked by the excusal of Prabhsimran and a catastrophe for Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s lower arm – supported at the non-striker’s end off a Dhawan drive – that constrained him to resign hurt. Chahal removed Jitesh Sharma after a 66-run stand, and Ashwin then pinched Sikandar Raza’s off stump. However, Dhawan started the engine again, and an audacious reverse flip off Jason Holder sent him flying for six over deep backward point.

Asif, who gave Dhawan 20 off 11 balls, was ramped for six more in the 19th over, so a century for Dhawan was possible. However, he was unable to strike in the final over because Holder only gave up seven runs to keep Kings below 200.

Arshdeep strikes, Samson counters

The Royals decided to send out Ashwin to open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal because it appeared that Buttler had been treated for a finger injury after taking a low catch from the final ball of the Kings innings. An activity stuffed powerplay then started with Jaiswal casually smacking the initial wad of the pursuit into the group at profound square leg.

Jaiswal also hit Arshdeep’s first shot at the rope, but he also missed a drive to cover and fell in the same over. Buttler by this point was fit to leave, and the Ashwin ploy finished in disappointment when he confounded a draw to do without scoring in Arshdeep’s second over. Lords had proactively seen Buttler endure an opportunity by that point, with Harpreet Brar placing down a running opportunity in the deep off Curran.

Arshdeep was smoked straight back down the field by Samson from his second ball, demonstrating his desire to immediately restore the pressure. When Buttler diverted a caught-and-bowled chance back to Ellis off his pads, Royals were 57 for 3 and wobbling. He took Brar and Ellis for back-to-back fours in consecutive overs as Royals breezed past 50 from 31 balls.

Ellis mops up

Ellis only made two appearances for Kings in 2022, but since then, he has become a first-choice overseas pick, keeping Kagiso Rabada out of the team. He added Samson to his bag just before the middle of the innings, and he was on a hat trick when Riyan Parag, the local boy whose boundary volley brought the crowd back to life, was caught at long-off a few overs later. Padikkal was bowled neck and crop for 21 off 26 to end the over, but Hetmyer survived. The difference in what became a close race was Ellis’ fourth, which scored 16 points.

Impact player: Dhruv Jurel and Rishi Dhawan

Rulers seemed to be turning into the second group, after Imperial Challengers Bangalore, not to present an impact sub; After 15 overs of their defence, they eventually brought in Rishi Dhawan to replace Prabhsimran, but he was not used on the field because his opposite number threatened to change the match. After Chahal bowled his allocation in the 16th over of Kings’ innings, Jurel had initially trotted on. Assuming the No. 8 as the Royals’ seventh-wicket pair took the game to the wire with 32 from 15 in only his fourth T20 innings. The 22-year-old batsman displayed both power and a cool disposition.