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Prabhsimran, spinners lead Punjab Kings to 31-run win over Delhi Capitals

New Delhi : PBKS' batsman Prabhsimran Singh celebrates his century during the IPL 2023 match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi, on Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Photo:Biplab Banerjee/IANS)

Chasing a fighting total, Delhi Capitals were off to a flying start, scoring 65/0 after 6 overs courtesy of Warner’s attacking approach. Warner came out all guns blazing hitting Rishi Dhawan for back-to-back boundaries in the very first over…reports Asian Lite News

Prabhsimran Singh’s brilliant maiden century, followed by spin domination of Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar led Punjab Kings to a convincing 31-run win over Delhi Capitals in Match No. 59 of IPL 2023 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, here on Saturday.

Opener Prabhsimran’s maiden IPL century (103 off 65) guided Punjab Kings to a competitive 167/7 in 20 overs. Punjab were struggling at 45/3 but Prabhsimran stitched a vital stand of 72 runs off 54 balls for the fourth wicket with Sam Curran to get them out of trouble. On the other hand, Ishant Sharma was the most successful bowler for Delhi Capitals with his 2-27.

In reply, despite having solid Power-play, Delhi Capitals struggled against spin choke, implemented by Harpreet (4-30) and Chahar (2-16) and suffered another loss in the season.

With this win, Punjab moved up to the sixth position in the points table with six victories in 12 matches and kept their playoffs hopes alive, On the other hand, Delhi remained at the bottom of the points table with just 4 wins in 12 matches as they are now out of the race for the playoffs by their own merit.

Chasing a fighting total, Delhi Capitals were off to a flying start, scoring 65/0 after 6 overs courtesy of Warner’s attacking approach. Warner came out all guns blazing hitting Rishi Dhawan for back-to-back boundaries in the very first over.

The Australian didn’t spare anything whether it was the pace of Nathan Elis, Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh and the spin of Harpreet Brar, hitting the new ball to all parts of the ground and making the target of 168 look like a cakewalk. On the other hand, Philip Salt also found occasional boundaries as Delhi were cruising towards the target quite comfortably.

It was Brar, who eventually gave Punjab their first breakthrough in the 7th over by removing Salt (21). However, Warner continued his aggressive intent and reached his 60th fifty in the IPL off 23 balls.

Though Warner was going strong, he didn’t get support from the other end with Mitchell Marsh and Rilee Rossouw getting out cheaply against Punjab spinners. Eventually, Warner (54 off 27) also got to Harpreet Brar in the 9th over, which started Delhi Capitals downslide in the run-chase.

The likes of Axar Patel and Manish Pandey also didn’t grab the opportunity to shine, getting out without showing any fight and leaving Delhi Capitals to 88-6 after 10.1 overs.

Lower down the order, the likes of Aman Hakim Khan (16), Praveen Dubey (16) and Kuldeep Yadav (10 not out) showed some resistance but their efforts were not enough as Delhi Capitals were eventually restricted to 136/8 in 20 overs.

Earlier, put in to bat first, Punjab Kings got off to a disastrous start as they lost three key wickets — Shikhar Dhawan (7), Liam Livingstone (4) and Jitesh Sharma (5) — inside the Power-play.

Dhawan, who looked in fine touch and smashed a six as well, was the first one to depart, getting out to Ishant Sharma in the second over of the innings. Continuing his impressive swing bowling, Ishant then rattled the stumps of Livingstone, who went for a big heave but missed the ball completely.

Wickets were falling at the other end but Prabhsimran Singh was able to find a few boundaries in between. The right-handed opener hit Axar for a six to deep backward-square in the first ball of the last over of the Power-play but the Indian spinner bowled Jitesh in the same over to leave Punjab Kings 45/3 after 5.2 overs.

From there on, Prabhsimran, who carried his bat through the Power-play and new batter Sam Curran had the responsibility to lead Punjab’s recovery. However, the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar and Praveen Dubey bowled the next few overs with tight line and length to keep Punjab Kings to 66/3 after 10 overs.

With runs not coming easily, Prabhsimran finally decided to free his arms and smashed Mitchell Marsh for two sixes and one four as 21 runs came from that over. After Marsh went for runs, Delhi skipper Warner brought spinners Kuldeep and Axar into the attack and they bowled decent overs to check the flow of boundaries.

However, there were enough opportunities for Prabhsimran to take singles and doubles as he got off to his second IPL fifty in 42 balls. On the other hand, Curran was playing the second fiddle quite well as his stand with Prabhsimran kept the scoreboard ticking for Punjab.

Delhi desperately needed a wicket and it was Praveen Dubey, who brought a much-needed breakthrough for them by getting rid of Curran (20 overs) in the 15th over. Harpreet Brar, who came to bat next, couldn’t do much as he got out to Kuldeep Yadav, leaving Punjab at 129-5 after 16.1 overs.

Despite losing partners from the other end, Prabhsimran continued his attacking approach and took Delhi bowlers to the cleaners. The opener slammed Khaleel Ahmed for back-to-back boundaries to get his maiden IPL hundred off 61 balls in the 18th over.

Punjab were dependent on Prabhsimran for a strong finish but Mukesh Kumar dismissed the batter soon after his century and bowled an excellent over to give just three runs. Khaleel too bowled a decent last over to keep Punjab Kings to 167/7 in 20 overs, which was too much for Delhi in the end.

Brief scores:

Punjab Kings 167/7 in 20 overs (Prabhsimran 103, Sam Curran 20; Ishant 2-27) beat Delhi Capitals 136/8 in 20 Overs (David Warner 54, Philip Salt 21; Harpreet Brar 4-30, Rahul Chahar 2-16) by 31 runs.

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Chahal, Jaiswal help Rajasthan thrash Kolkata

The victory means Rajasthan jumped to third place on the points table with 12 points from as many games and net run rate at 0.633, keeping their playoff hopes alive…reports Asian Lite News

Yuzvendra Chahal became the leading wicket-taker in history of the IPL through a mesmerising 4/25 while Yashasvi Jaiswal made mockery of a two-paced pitch by smashing an unbeaten 47-ball 98, including the quickest-ever fifty of the tournament in 13 balls, as Rajasthan Royals thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets in an season 2023 match at Eden Gardens, here on Thursday.

Chahal was undoubtedly Rajasthan’s standout bowler, spinning a web around Kolkata batters with his slow tossed up deliveries, leg-spin and googly to keep the hosts to 149/8. Jaiswal was then sparkling in his strokeplay, combining bravado and fearless approach to hit 13 fours and five sixes at a strike-rate of 208.51.

The left-handed opener reaching fifty in 13 balls was like a video game in fast-forward mode, leaving the fans in awe of the ability to clear the infield and pick gaps with immaculate ease and precise footwork while taking down Kolkata’s bowlers in jaw-dropping fashion.

Jaiswal also shared an unbroken 121-run stand off 69 balls for the second wicket with Sanju Samson, who finished at 48 not out off 29 balls, as Rajasthan got over the line with 41 balls to spare. The result also means Rajasthan jumped to third place on the points table with 12 points from as many games and net run rate at 0.633, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

The 21-year-old Jaiswal kick-started the chase in spectacular fashion, dancing down the pitch to loft Nitish Rana’s part-time off-spin over long-on for six, followed by slog-sweeping for another maximum. His opening over onslaught continued when he danced down the pitch to drive past mid-off and cut fiercely twice to hit three fours, picking 26 runs off the over.

Though Jos Buttler was run-out for a duck, Jaiswal got a four thanks to an overthrow, and then hooked Harshit Rana for six. He went on to smash Shardul Thakur for three consecutive fours through mid-off, deep mid-wicket and cover, before taking a single to reach his fifty in 13 balls.

Post that, there was no stopping Jaiswal as he hammered a drive off Varun Chakaravarthy for four, followed by cutting and heaving off Harshit for a brace of boundaries. There was no respite in store for Kolkata as Samson pulled and whipped off Chakaravarthy for six and four respectively.

Jaiswal brought out the shot of the innings by backing away to loft inside-out over the extra-cover boundary off Sunil Narine in the seventh over, followed by pulling Suyash Sharma for another maximum.

Nothing went Kolkata’s way as Samson was dropped by Narine off his own bowling, followed by the right-hander slapping Suyash for four and carting Anukul Roy for three sixes over the bowler’s head.

While Samson thumped Chakaravarthy for six, Jaiswal brought out sweep, reverse-sweep for two boundaries, before finishing off the chase with another sweep off Thakur for a four to be 98 not out.

Earlier, Jason Roy flicked off Trent Boult in the third over, but Shimron Hetmyer ran to his right from deep square leg and took a terrific jumping catch on the edge of the boundary. The left-arm pacer then had Rahmanullah Gurbaz mistimed a drive on the up and was caught by Sandeep Sharma running to his right and diving to take the catch at mid-off.

Post power-play, Rajasthan kept Kolkata on a tight leash by off-spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Joe Root. But Venkatesh Iyer, who was struggling for momentum, slog-swept and lofted inside-out over long-off against Ashwin for back-to-back sixes, before Nitish Rana ended the 18-run over with a drive past extra cover for four.

Chahal struck for Rajasthan in the next over, having Rana slog-sweeping straight to diving backward square leg and becoming the leading wicket-taker in history of IPL. But Venkatesh took the leg-spinner to cleaners in his next over, clearing long-off for six, before pulling and driving with ease for two fours.

After Andre Russell smacked KM Asif over long-off for six, the pacer bounced back by cramping the big-hitter for room and cutting straight to backward point. Venkatesh stormed to his fifty in 40 balls by thumping Asif over long-off for six.

But Chahal took him out in the 17th over as the left-hander skied a wide delivery to cover, followed by the leg-spinner trapping Shardul Thakur lbw on review. He returned in the 19th over to have Rinku Singh holing out to long-off, before Sandeep had Sunil Narine dismissed in a similar manner on the last ball.

Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 149/7 in 20 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 57; Yuzvendra Chahal 4/25, Trent Boult 2/15) lost to Rajasthan Royals 151/1 in 13.1 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 98 not out, Sanju Samson 48 not out) by nine wickets.

ALSO READ: Chennai thrash Delhi by 27 runs

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Chennai thrash Delhi by 27 runs

CSK bowlers maintained the stranglehold on the Capital batters to restrict them to 140/8 and notched their seventh win of the tournament…reports Asian Lite News

Skipper MS Dhoni’s late cameo (20 off 9) followed by a clinical show from the bowlers lead Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a comfortable 27-run win over Delhi Capitals (DC) in an IPL 2023 game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, here on Wednesday.

Delhi spinners were at their best as they kept the CSK batters at bay with six batters crossing 20 and the highest individual score was 25. But Dhoni’s crucial cameo ensured CSK finished with a fighting total of 167/8 in 20 overs.

In reply, Delhi got off to a dismal start as they lost their openers in the Powerplay. Then, Riley Rossouw and Pandey steadied the ship and built a 59-run stand. But CSK bowlers maintained the stranglehold on the Capital batters to restrict them to 140/8 and notched their seventh win of the tournament.

Chasing 170, Delhi Capitals suffered early blows as Deepak Chahar struck in the very first over to remove skipper David Warner for a second ball duck. Phil Salt flicked away to the deep backward square for a boundary and stepped down and played a pull shot for a six in the second over to pump up the start.

He continued with his hit as he hammered Chahar for a six but the pacer was quick to bounce on the next delivery and removed the Salt for 17. DC lost both the openers within three overs.

The next over Mitchell Marsh and Manish Pandey got a huge mix up between the wickets while looking for a single. Ajinkya Rahane smartly ran to the bowler’s end and flicked the bails off and March got run out. DC were reeling 27-3 in four overs.

Riley Rossouw and Pandey took a couple of boundaries and maximum to take the Powerplay score to 47-3.

CSK bowlers were building pressure with their clinical bowling with just two big hits coming in the next four overs. The duo of Rossouw and Pandey steadied the innings as they kept rotating the strike to keep the scoreboard reeling.

The duo built a 59-run stand, which Matheesha Pathirana broke by dismissing Pandey for 27. The latter greeted Pathirana with a six in the 13th over but the pacer had a quick comeback as he got the former for lbw on the last ball of the over.

An over later, Jadeja came into the attack and got the set batter Rossouw, who sat on a knee to go for a slog sweep but ended up mis-hitting to long-on where Pathirana took a safe catch.

With the asking run-rate going over 18 runs per over, Axar Patel went for few big hits to release some pressure but was removed in the 18th over as Pathirana deceived him with a slower delivery.

When 48 was needed in 12 balls, Tushar Deshpande bowled a brilliant 19th over, conceding just five runs. Also, DC lost Ripal Patel through runout and the chase almost came to an end as the visitors needed 43 off the 6 balls to win.

Lalit Yadav hammered Pathirana for three boundaries in the final over and pacer cleaned up Yadav on the penultimate delivery as CSK wrapped up a 27-run win.

Earlier, batting first, CSK lost the in-form opener Devon Conway early in the Powerplay. It was Axar Patel who got the big fish for lbw. Then, Ajinkya Rahane and Ruturaj Gaikwad took the Powerplay score to 49/1.

Axar delivered another blow to CSK as he got rid of Gaikwad in the next over. Kuldeep Yadav struck in the 10th over to dismiss Moeen Ali and CSK were reduced to 66-3 halfway through the innings.

Soon, Lalit Yadav caught & bowled Rahane to pile up further miseries on CSK. Then, Dube and Ambati Rayudu hit the foot on paddle to turn the momentum, collecting 23 runs off the 13th over and CSK crossed the 100-run mark.

Mitchell Marsh removed dangerous looking Debe on a slower delivery and half of the Chennai side was back to the pavilion. Couple of overs later, Khaleel Ahmed removed Rayudu and CSK stumbled further.

Then the Chepauk crowd went mad and welcomed Dhoni to the crease with a loud cheer. In the penultimate over of the innings bowled by Khaleel, Dhoni smashed two sixes and a boundary, taking 21 off the over and CSK reached 160-6.

Jadeja began the last over well with a boundary, the next ball he miscued his shot and handed an easy catch to the long-on fielder, ending a crucial 38-run partnership. Two balls later, Marsh put an end to Dhoni’s fine cameo as CSK eventually posted 167/8 in 20 overs.

Brief score: Chennai Super Kings 167/8 in 20 overs (Shivam Dube 25 off 12, MS Dhoni 20 off 9; Mitchell Marsh 3/18, Axar Patel 2/27) beat Delhi Capitals 140/8 in 20 overs (Rilee Rossouw 35 off 37, Manish Pandey 27 off 29; Matheesha Pathirana 3/37, Deepak Chahar 2/28) by 27 runs.

ALSO READ: SKY shines as Mumbai Indians beat RCB

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SKY shines as Mumbai Indians beat RCB

Thanks to Suryakumar Yadav’s 83 and an unbeaten 52 by Wadhera, Mumbai twice survived double-strike overs by Wanindu Hasaranga and Vijaykumar Vyshak to race to their sixth win of the season…reports Asian Lite News

In a match of two third-wicket partnerships, the 140-run stand between Surykumar Yadav and Nehal Wadhera prevailed over the 120-run effort by Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell as Mumbai Indians defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets in Match No 54 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium, here on Tuesday.

Yadav put on display a power-hitting masterclass to post his highest score in IPL — a 35-ball 83 — and with Nehal Wadhera blasting an unbeaten half-century, Mumbai Indians handed Royal Challengers Bangalore a six-wicket defeat in Match No 54 of India Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium here on Tuesday.

Suryakumar started on a sedate note after Ishan Kishan had given Mumbai Indians a whirlwind start with a 21-ball 42, and raced to his half-century in 26 balls. He raised 140 runs for the third wicket partnership with Wadhera (52 not out off 34 balls) in just 66 deliveries as Mumbai raced to 200/4 in 16.3 overs, chasing Royal Challengers Bangalore’s 199/6 in 20 overs built around blazing half-centuries by Faf du Plessis (65) and Glenn Maxwell (68).

Thanks to Suryakumar Yadav’s 83 and an unbeaten 52 by Wadhera, Mumbai twice survived double-strike overs by Wanindu Hasaranga and Vijaykumar Vyshak to race to their sixth win of the season and zoomed to the third spot in the points table with 12 points, behind Gujarat Titans (16) and Chennai Super Kings (13) and in a superb position to seal a place in the Playoffs if they win their next three matches.

Mumbai Indians started in whirlwind fashion thanks to Ishan Kishan who blasted a 21-ball 42 to give them a dream start. As his skipper Rohit Sharma, who returned to his opening slot after batting down the order against CSK, and watched from the other end, Ishan Kishan went hammer and tongs at the Royal Challengers Bangalore bowling, hitting four boundaries and four maximums during his superb knock.

He started the Mumbai Indians’ reply with a four off the first delivery when Mohammed Siraj strayed down the legside and whipped through midwicket and lofted to long-on Josh Hazlewood for fours off successive deliveries in the second over. Siraj came under attack in his next over too as Ishan Kishan, who was on Monday included in the India Test squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, hammered back-to-back sixes over the long-on and deep backward square leg boundary.

A monster hit off Hazlewood into the top tier in deep square-leg area was the pick of the shots in his brief knock and he celebrated it by smashing a four and a six off Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga. But the leg-break bowler had the last laugh as he got Ishan Kishan on the next delivery after the six by cramping the Mumbai Indians batter for space with a quicker one as thin-edged it to Anuj Rawat.

Hasaranga struck again in the same over, sending back Rohit Sharma for seven, trapping him lbw with a superb delivery, and getting three reds from ball tracking on a fine DRS review by RCB skipper Faf du Plessis.

From 50 for no loss, Mumbai slumped to 52/2 in the fifth over after Hasaranga’s double strike but they recovered thanks to the vital partnership between Yadav and Wadhera.

They reached the 100 of their partnership in 53 deliveries as they put the Mumbai innings back on track. Wadhera, who was dropped by Hasaranga off his own bowling, pulled Vijaykumar Vyshak for a six off the second delivery he faced before French cutting and driving Harshal Patel for two fours. He slog-swept Hasaranga for his second six in the 11th over.

Suryakumar Yadav, on the other hand, had to dive to survive a run-out attempt in the sixth over before Virat Kohli came up with a poor effort, off Harshal Patel, at the deep midwicket giving him his first four. The Mumbai batter guided Vyshak to the boundary in the eighth over and then survived a DRS review for ball tracking confirming the impact is outside off. He exploded into action in the 12th over by hammering Hazlewood for back-to-back fours and then struck Harshal Patel for another four through the gap behind point.

Suryakumar treated Siraj on his return for his second spell with a four and six off successive deliveries and the slog-swept Hasaranga into the crowd at deep backward square leg and followed it up by launching the Sri Lankan spinner over deep square leg boundary for another big six.

Earlier, RCB suffered a wobble after Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell struck blazing half-centuries to raise 120 runs for the third wicket partnership.

Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma had won the toss and elected to field first and left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff justified his decision by getting Virat Kohli to nick one behind to Ishan Kishan on the fifth ball of his first over. Kohli tried to give the Aussie pacer the charge to heave it into the stands but only managed a thick edge behind for 1– DRS giving the former India captain out.

From 2/1, Royal Challengers Bangalore slumped into further trouble when Anuj Rawat, who slapped Behrendorff for a boundary over cover, attempted to scoop a wide one but top-edged it and Cameron Green pouched the skier, running behind from slips. RCB were down to 16/2 and looking in trouble.

However, skipper Faf du Plessis and the experienced Glenn Maxwell rescued Royal Challengers Bangalore with both hitting superb fifties in the process.

Maxwell was the more aggressive of the two, completing his half-century in 25 balls, hitting three sixes and six boundaries in the process. He struck Behrendorff for two boundaries in the fifth over, belting one down the ground and playing the second to the fine-leg boundary. In the next over, he first reverse-swept and then punched Piyush Chawla for back-to-back boundaries.

Maxwell continued his tirade against the Mumbai Indians bowlers, smacking Chris Jordan, who made his Mumbai Indians debut coming in as a replacement for Jofra Archer, for two sixes in the seventh over, hoisting him square-leg and then pulling the English bowler over the boundary in front of square. He then walked down the pitch to deposit a Chawla delivery into the second tier over long-on. A boundary off a full-toss by Akash Madhwal and a single took him to fifty off 25 balls.

At the other end, Du Plessis played a well-controlled innings as he struck Chawla for successive fours in the second over and despatched Green for two boundaries in the fourth over, picking up the length with ease. In the fifth over, he thumped Behrendorff for a big six over long-on and meted out the same treatment to Madhwal off a full-toss in the 10th over as RCB crossed the 100-run mark. He struck a six off Chawla and hit Jordan for a boundary, completing his fifty off 30 deliveries. The 100 off their partnership for the third wicket came off just 52 balls as RCB went on the rampage.

Behrendorff provided Mumbai Indians the much-needed breakthrough when he sent back Maxwell for 68, as he slogged a knuckleball and Nehal Wadhera pouched a straight-forward catch, falling backward. The third-wicket partnership fetched RCB 120 runs in quick fashion.

Dinesh Karthik played a cameo 30 off 17 balls, smacking Kumar Kartikeya for three boundaries, and hammering a full-toss from the spinner for a six over deep midwicket. However, 136/3 in the 13th over, RCB slumped to 146/5 in the 15th over and eventually ended with 199/6 in 20 overs. But the way Suryakumar Yadav batted on Tuesday, anything more than that too could have proved insufficient.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bangalore 199/6 in 20 overs (Glenn Maxwell 68, Faf du Plessis 65, Dinesh Karthik 30; Jason Behrendorff 3-36) lost to Mumbai Indians 200/4 in 16.3 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 83, Nehal Wadhera 52 not out, Ishan Kishan 42; Wanindu Hasaranga 2-53, Vijaykumar Vyshak 2-37) by six wickets.

ALSO READ: ‘RRR’ seal the deal for Kolkata

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‘RRR’ seal the deal for Kolkata

The win took KKR to fifth on the table and got a new life to their challenge for a playoff spot. On the other hand, will be deflated with that loss and it is a big blow to their chances of making it through to the playoffs…reports Asian Lite News

After Nitish Rana’s half-century and blitz in the final two overs by Andre Russell and Rinku Singh guided Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a 5-wicket win over Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens, here on Monday.

The win took KKR to fifth on the table and got a new life to their challenge for a playoff spot. On the other hand, will be deflated with that loss and it is a big blow to their chances of making it through to the playoffs.

After Shikhar Dhawan’s fifty, Shahrukh Khan and Harpreet Brar’s blitz in the final two overs powered Punjab Kings (PBKS) to 179/7.

In reply, KKR opening duo Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Jason Roy came out with intent and the latter just blew away the opposition bowlers. After Rana’s 51 off 38 and Russell’s quickfire (42 off 23), Rinku (21 off 10) provided a fine finish with a boundary to clinch a thriller.

Chasing 180, KKR had a steady start with just 10 runs in the first two overs. The shackles were broken when both Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Jason Roy hammered Arshdeep Singh for 16 runs off the fourth over.

The slower one from Nathan Ellis does the trick in the next over as he produced a back-of-the-hand slower ball to get rid of Gurbaz. Skipper Nitish Rana and Roy took the Power-play total to 52/1.

Roy hit consecutive boundaries at the end of the seventh over. He looked to continue with his momentum but Harpreet Brar made an instant impact as he got rid of the English batter, who was looking to be in incredible form.

Roy went for a big sweep to deep mid-wicket but did not get the desired distance on it and Shahrukh Khan in the deep completed an easy catch. Kolkata was going along nicely but has lost a couple of quick wickets and this has handed the advantage to Punjab.

After two quiet overs, Rana hit the paddle and smashed two boundaries and a maximum to pace up the run-chase. The KKR skipper started continued hitting boundaries. Venkatesh looked to break the shackles but it doesn’t come off ad Rahul Chahar trapped him on a slower ball.

Rana completed his fifth with a double but could not complete the job for his side as he holed out on the next after making his half-century. He played a reverse sweep taking the aerial route but miscued it towards deep covers where Liam Livingstone took a stunning sliding catch.

With needed 51 off 24, the onus shifted on Andre Russell and Rinku Singh to take KKR over the line. Russell hit a boundary on the first of the 17th over then Rinku smoked it over the square leg fence for a six, taking 15 off the over.

With two boundaries coming off the 18th over, the equation reached 26 needed in two overs. Russell smacked back-to-back maximums in the penultimate over. After a dot ball, he went for another six and finished the over with a single, leaving 6 runs for the final over to win.

Arshdeep Singh started well in the final over with a dot and a couple of singles followed by a double and two were needed in two balls.

The drama continued as Russell tried to steal a bye and Jitesh Sharma was smart to lob it over the stumps to Arshdeep, who waited, then throw it at the nonstriker’s end and the batter had to return back to the hut.

Then, Rinku yet again finished things off and took KKR over the line with a boundary off the final ball.

Earlier, opting to bat first, PBKS were off to a strong start with opening duo Prabhsimran Singh and Dhawan collecting runs through boundaries. Harshit Rana struck early in the second over to dismiss Prabhsimran.

Harshit trapped his second victim in the form of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who played an aggressive cover drive on the front foot but edged it behind and Gurbaz was quick to pouch it safely as Punjab were reduced to 32/2.

Then, Livingstone took Andre Russell to the cleaners, smashing him for four boundaries before falling in the next over off the bowling of Chakravarthy.

KKR spin trio of Sunil Narine (1-7), Suyash Sharma (1-26) and Varun Chakaravarthy (3-26) did extremely well to keep things under control in the middle overs. They even put a lid over the run rate. Nitish Rana then surprised everyone, when he got himself into the attack and got rid of the opposition skipper at a crucial juncture of the game.

The PBKS skipper hammered two successive boundaries, taking 11 runs off the over. Chakravarthy struck again in the 13th over to get rid of Jitesh for 21, breaking the 53-run stand and PBKS were four down.

Rana did the trick for his side. The Kolkata skipper put his hand up this time and has the final laugh and got rid of the Punjab captain.

After Shikhar Dhawan’s dismissal, Rishi Dhawan was playing a bit of a blinder to add crucial runs on the board but Chakravarthy got him in the last over of his spell to claim his third. In the next over, Suyash removed Sam Curran cheaply for 4.

Then, the duo of Harpreet Brar and Shahrukh Khan racked up 36 runs off the last two over to take PBKS to 179/7.

Brief scores:

Punjab Kings 179/7 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 57, Shahrukh Khan 21 not out; Varun Chakaravarthy 3-26, Harshit Rana 2-33) beat Punjab Kings 179/7 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 57, Shahrukh Khan 21 not out; Varun Chakaravarthy 3-26, Harshit Rana 2-33) by 5 wickets.

ALSO READ: SRH clinch thrilling win over RR

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SRH clinch thrilling win over RR

Jaipur, May 07 (ANI): Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma plays a shot in a match against Rajasthan Royals during the Indian Premier League 2023, at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, in Jaipur on Sunday. (ANI Photo/Digital Restriction)

With this win, SRH has rose to the ninth spot with four wins and six losses, with a total of eight points…reports Asian Lite News

Top knocks from Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi followed by fiery cameos from Glenn Phillips and Abdul Samad helped Sunrisers Hyderabad clinch a four-wicket win in their IPL 2023 match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur on Sunday.

With this win, SRH has rose to the ninth spot with four wins and six losses, with a total of eight points. RR is in the fourth spot with five wins, six losses and a total of 10 points. Abhishek Sharma gave a solid start with his 55 off 34 runs and the game-changing cameo of Glenn Phillips’s 25 off just 7 balls gave SRH their biggest win of the season so far.

Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the bowlers for RR, he took four wickets conceding 29 runs. Kuldip Yadav and R Ashwin took one scalp each.

Chasing the highest target in Jaipur, SRH openers Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh started the innings steady as they brought their 50-run partnership in 34 balls. However, they lost their first wicket in the final over of powerplay. Chahal dismissed Anmolpreet at 33 off 25 balls. SRH was 51/1 in 5.5 overs.

After the end of the powerplay, SRH were at 52/1. Rahul Tripathi (1* off 1 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (18* off 10 balls) were unbeaten.

Abhishek then built 50 run partnership with Rahul Tripathi in 36 balls and they brought up the 100-run mark for SRH on the scoreboard in 11.3 overs.

Abhishek brought his fifty in 33 balls but was quickly dismissed by Ashwin in the 13th over. He scored 55 off 34 balls, consisting of five fours and two sixes. SRH was at 116/2 in 12.4 overs.

Heinrich Klaasen arrived at the crease and gave some hope to SRH fans with his clean and quick-hitting. However, he became Chahal’s second victim, scoring 26 off 12 balls. SRH was 157/3 in 15.5 overs.

In the 18th over, Chahal pushed SRH into the back seat as he picked two wickets. Rahul Tripathi was dismissed at 47 off 29 balls and Aiden Markram got out at 6 off 5 balls. SRH sunk to 174/5 in 17.5 overs and perhaps a lot was left for the remaining line-up to hit in the final overs. Chahal also got his four-wicket haul and became the joint-highest wicket-taker in the league’s history.

However, the match was turned full upside down in the penultimate over when Glenn Phillips hit three consecutive sixes and a four on Kuldip Yadav’s bowling. But the bowler did not let the Kiwi batter finish the match, dismissing him for 25 off seven balls. SRH was at 196/6 in 18.5 overs.

In the last over, SRH needed 17 runs. That oversaw a lot of drama, as RR had won the match after Abdul Samad was caught on the final ball. But after it was called a no-ball, SRH won the match, with Samad hitting a six on final ball.

Earlier, Choose to Bat, RR plans were clear as they started off with a boundary. Yashasvi Jaiswal was taking form from the previous match forward and was hitting boundaries in every over. Jos Buttler also joined him as they added a 50-run partnership off 26 balls.

Marco Jansen brought the wicket for SRH when he got the breakthrough of Yashasvi Jaiswal at short third man. Jaiswal scored 35 off 18 balls.

After the end of the powerplay, RR were 70/1, Sanju Samson 11* off 7 and Jos Buttler 18* off 17 balls.

RR’s batter attacked Mayank Markande in the 9th over, collecting 21 runs with three sixes.

Rajasthan reached the 100-run mark in just 9.4 overs. Buttler 37* off 26 balls and Samson 28 off 16 balls.

Buttler and Samson were not giving any chance to the bowlers, they achieved the 50 runs partnership off 29 balls.

Buttler who missed his mark in the previous match, bounced back as he smashed his half-century off 32 balls in 11.4 overs.

SRH bowlers were looking helpless as they had no answer for the explosive batting of Rajasthan. RR brought their 150-run mark in 14.2 overs.

Samson brought his fifty off 33 balls in the 18th over.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Marco Jansen were the only bowlers who got one breakthrough.

Like the first match of the day, Buttler also fell short of scoring his century. He was dismissed by Bhuvneshwar in 18.3 overs at 95 off 59 balls.

Rajasthan collected 17 runs in the last over, posting the highest target in Jaipur.

Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the bowlers for RR, he took four wickets conceding 29 runs. Kuldip Yadav, R Ashwin took one scalp each.

Brief scores Rajasthan Royals 214/2 (Jos Buttler 95, Sanju Samson 66, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/44) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad 217/6 (Abhishek Sharma 55, Rahul Tripathi 47, Yuzvendra Chahal 4/29) (ANI)

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Kolkata keep their playoff hopes alive

After a crucial win against Sunrisers Hyderabad, KKR have managed to keep their qualification hopes alive with their fourth win in 10 games this season…reports Asian Lite News

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy held his nerve to defend nine run in the final over as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) registered a thrilling 5-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in an IPL 2023 match at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, here on Thursday.

Riding on Nitish Rana’s 42 off 31 and Rinku Singh’s 46 off 35, KKR posted 171/9 on the board in front of SRH clinical bowling display. In reply, SRH seemed to be struggling to execute their plans as they lost the rhythm after middle overs and suffered a loss in another game at home.

After a crucial win in their campaign. KKR have managed to keep their qualification hopes alive with their fourth win in 10 games this season.

Chasing 172, SRH opening duo Abhishek Sharma and Mayank Agarwal got off to a solid start before Hyderabad managed to draw first blood and it was Harshit Rana who dismissed Agarwal in the third over.

Agarwal went for a pull but got beaten by the extra pace. He gloved the ball toward the keeper and Rahmanullah Gurbaz had the easy one. Shardul Thakur joined the party in the next over as he removed Abhishek cheaply for 9, reducing SRH to 37/2.

Rahul Tripathi took Andre Russell to the cleaners in the sixth over as he got 4,6,4 before falling on the next ball. Tripathi tried to ramp it over the fine leg boundary but holed out to the deep fielder and Vaibhav Arora took a fine catch. KKR reached 53/3 at the end of the powerplay.

The next over, Anukul Roy trapped Harry Brooks lbw for a duck. KKR kept SRH at bay with an impressive bowling show as the hosts went boundary-less in the next three overs and were reeling 75/4 in 10 overs. Then, Heinrich Klassen and skipper Aiden Markram shifted gears, and the duo stitched a crucial 70-run partnership.

Klassen smashed two sixes against Anukul in the 11th over to release some pressure. Aiden Markram went for back-to-back boundaries Varun Chakravarthy in the next over to keep SRH in the game. When the duo was looking dangerous, Thakur came to the rescue for KKR and shifted the momentum as he got rid of Klassen in the 15th over.

SRH looked much in control when 38 needed off 30 balls but KKR turned the table with brilliant bowling in slog overs as the hosts managed to score 32 runs in the last five overs for the loss of three wickets.

KKR got the big breakthrough with an important wicket of Markram in the 17th over to make the chase tougher for the hosts.

Vaibhav Arora started the penultimate over with a wide and removed Marco Jansen on the next delivery. Bhuvneshwar Kumar came in and began with a boundary. There was a twist in the tail as Abdul Samad smashed a four off the no ball, followed by a dot on the free hit. With a single on the last ball of the over the equation reached 9 off 6 balls.

Hyderabad, May 04 (ANI): Kolkata Knight Riders’ Anukul Roy celebrates a wicket with teammates in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad during the Indian Premier League 2023, at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, in Hyderabad on Thursday. (ANI Photo/Digital Restriction)

After a couple of singles in the final over, Samad went for a big but ended up losing his wicket, and 7 needed off 3 to win for SRH. Mayank Markande tried to scoop over fine leg and survived a stumping from Gurbaz. A single later, SRH needed nothing less than a six for a win but Chakravarthy ended the over with a dot and KKR sealed a thrilling 5-run win.

Earlier, opting to bat first, KKR had a slow start, losing two quick wickets in the first couple of overs and later lost the set batter, Roy, who threatened with a few boundaries, as the visitors ended the powerplay at 49/3.

While SRH continued with tight bowling, Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh got into the rebuilding act as they found big hits in between to keep the scoreboard ticking and went on to score 61 off 40 balls before a brilliant caught and bowled by Markram ended KKR skipper’s stay on the crease.

Then, SRH lost two wickets in quick succession in the form of Russell and Sunil Narine.

Mayank Markane removed Russell in the 15th over for 24 and half of the KKR side headed back to the hut in 15 overs. And soon Bhuvneshwar dismissed Narine, who was beaten by the lack of pace and chipped it towards extra cover where Agarwal ran to his left to complete an easy catch.

Shardul Thakur slashed straight at deep point off the bowling of Natarajan for a big but Abdul Samad completed a simple catch and it was all on Rinku to give KKR the big finish. Impact player Anukul Roy came in and smashed two successive boundaries in the 19th over to add crucial runs to the board.

Then, Natarajan bowled a brilliant last over, he first denied Rinku a half-century, removing him on low full toss and inflicted a brilliant run-out to dismiss Harshit Rana on the next delivery. He gave away just three off the over as KKR finished with 171/9 in 20 overs.

Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 171/9 in 20 overs (Nitish Rana 42 off 31, Rinku Singh 46 off 35; Marco Jansen 2/24, T Natarajan 2/30) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (Aiden Markram 41 off 40, Heinrich Klaasen 36 off 20; Shardul Thakur 2/23, Vaibhav Arora 2/32) by 5 runs.

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Mumbai chase down Punjab’s 215 for 5th win

Kishan slammed a terrific 75 while Suryakumar brought out his innovative array of shots in a whirlwind 66 as the duo shared a match-winning partnership of 116 for the third wicket to help Mumbai Indians chase down 215…reports Asian Lite News

When Punjab Kings, after being put in to bat first, posted 214/3, thanks to Liam Livingstone’s scintillating 82 off 42 balls and Jitesh Sharma continuing his good form to be unbeaten on 49 off 27 balls, while sharing a 119-run stand for the fourth wicket, it seemed Mumbai Indians were on the backfoot.

After conceding 69 runs in the last five overs, Mumbai were even further pushed backwards when Rishi Dhawan dismissed Rohit Sharma for a three-ball duck in the first over and lost Cameron Green in the last over of power-play.

But Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav had other ideas at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium on Wednesday. In front of a vociferous crowd, Kishan slammed a terrific 75 while Suryakumar brought out his innovative array of shots in a whirlwind 66 as the duo shared a match-winning partnership of 116 for the third wicket to help Mumbai Indians chase down 215 and beat Punjab Kings by six wickets.

Though the duo fell in the back-end of the chase, Tilak Varma and Tim David kept the attack going to complete the chase with seven balls to spare. The win also means Mumbai have ten points and have gone past Punjab to be at sixth position in the points table.

Ishan got going by hitting Arshdeep Singh for back-to-back fours through the off-side, before smacking length balls from Rishi over long-on for two sixes. Suryakumar, Mumbai’s impact player, was off the blocks with his pull, cuts and sweep off Rahul Chahar.

From the other end, Kishan danced down the pitch to hammer a four off Harpreet Brar and then sat down to smack high over deep mid-wicket for six. After flat-batting off Chahar for four, Kishan got his fifty in 29 balls.

Suryakumar took on Curran by slicing over deep backward point and lofting a drive over cover for two sixes. He then drove past the bowler and picked off wrists beautifully to hit two fours, the second of which got him his fifty in 23 balls.

His hitting prowess continued by flaying Ellis over point and flicking Arshdeep for a brace of fours. Kishan further teared into Arshdeep by hammering over deep mid-wicket for six and slamming down the ground twice for two fours.

The Mohali crowd found its voice when Suryakumar mistimed a cut to short third man off Ellis and Kishan hooked straight to deep fine leg off Arshdeep. Varma ensured momentum stayed with Mumbai by pulling Arshdeep for six, scooping the next ball for four and launching another six over deep mid-wicket.

David chipped in with a cheeky dab off Curran for four and sliced off Arshdeep for the same result, before Tilak finished off the chase in style with a huge straight six slammed down the ground.

Earlier, at the end of the 12th over, Punjab were 99/3 and a slowdown seemed imminent. But Livingstone and Jitesh joined forces to take them past 200. For Mumbai, barring Piyush Chawla’s 2/29, all bowlers were at the receiving end of carnage from Livingstone and Jitesh.

Punjab suffered an early blow when Prabhsimran Singh slashed away and was caught behind by Ishan Kishan off Arshad in the second over. Shikhar Dhawan and Matthew Short struck some good boundaries on fuller and short lengths, with the former earning a life as short third man shelled a chance in the seventh over.

But Chawla had the last laugh by beating a charging-down-the-ground Dhawan with a googly and getting him easily stumped, followed by bowling his googly slower through the air to rattle Short’s off-stump.

Livingstone was quick off the blocks, guiding Chawla past keeper for four, followed by thumping and swiping debutant pacer Akash Madhwal for four and six respectively. Jitesh had a rollicking start to his knock – smashing Archer over wide long-off, a thick outside edge flying past short third man and pull going past deep mid-wicket to take three fours off a 21-run 13th over.

Livingstone feasted on Arshad’s deliveries, steering and cutting short balls with ease, before slicing a yorker between point and short third man to hit three boundaries in the 15th over. Then came Jitesh’s turn to take runs off Arshad in the 17th over – slamming a length ball down the ground for a huge six, followed by launching a full toss over the bowler’s head for a boundary.

After Livingstone got his fifty in 32 balls with a stunning cover drive off Madhwal, he smacked Archer for a hat-trick of sixes in the 19th over – hammering twice over long-on while smacking one down the ground as Punjab crossed 200-mark, only to end up on the losing side.

Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 214/3 in 20 overs (Liam Livingstone 82 not out, Jitesh Sharma 49 not out; Piyush Chawla 2/29, Arshad Khan 1/48) lost to Mumbai Indians 216/4 in 18.5 overs (Ishan Kishan 75, Suryakumar Yadav 66; Nathan Ellis 2/34, Rishi Dhawan 1/20) by six wickets

ALSO READ: Delhi Capitals beat Gujarat Titans by five runs

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Delhi Capitals beat Gujarat Titans by five runs

Despite the win, Delhi Capitals stayed at the bottom of the points table but they have kept themselves alive in the tournament with three victories in nine matches…reports Asian Lite News

Delhi Capitals overcame Hardik Pandya’s fighting unbeaten fifty (59 not out) and Mohammed Shami’s four-fer (4-11) to beat Gujarat Titans by five runs in Match No. 44 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Tuesday.

Despite the win, Delhi Capitals stayed at the bottom of the points table but they have kept themselves alive in the tournament with three victories in nine matches. On the other hand, Gujarat Titans, who have six wins in nine matches, are at the top of the points table despite the loss.

Seasoned pacer Shami’s sensational four-fer helped Gujarat Titans restrict Delhi Capitals to 130/8 in 20 overs despite a fighting fifty from Aman Hakim Khan (51 off 44). Apart from Shami, Mohit Sharma (2-33) and Rashid Khan (1-28) were the other wicket-takers for Titans while Axar Patel (27 off 30) and Ripal Patel (23 off 13) were the other main contributors with the bat after Aman.

Chasing a low total, Delhi Capitals also had a poor start as they lost three wickets inside the Power-play and scored just 31 runs. It was Khaleel Ahmed, who drew the first blood for Delhi Capitals by getting Wriddhiman Saha caught behind for a duck in the last delivery of the very first over of the innings.

Skipper Hardik Pandya walked into the middle to give company to Shubman Gill, who started well by hitting a boundary off Ishant Sharma. However, Anrich Nortje was introduced in the attack soon and he dismissed Gill, who timed the ball straight to the cover fielder.

Vijay Shankar has been in good form this season and Gujarat had high hopes for him but Ishant bowled a brilliant knuckleball to get rid of the Tamil Nadu batter, leaving Titans in a precarious position at 26-3 after 4.6 overs.

Defending champions Gujarat needed a partnership to rebuild their innings but new man David Miller tried to play a cute paddle sweep off Kuldeep Yadav but was bowled, adding misery to his team’s position.

Gujarat Titans were 32/4 when Miller got out and Hardik was watching his batting partners going back to the pavilion one after another. The skipper needed some support and it came from Abhinav Manohar.

The duo of Hardik and Abhinav played cautiously against spin twins Kuldeep and Axar Patel, who were bowling nicely to keep things in control for Delhi. After bowling a few overs of spin, Warner went back to his pacers and they also bowled well, giving few boundaries here and there as the required run rate was going up with each passing over.

Hardik and Abhinav continued to grind out runs while Warner was bringing in the bowling changes in search of breakthroughs and not letting the batters settle down as Gujarat Titans were 71/4 after 14 overs.

With the required run rate increasingly sharp, Hardik decided to free his arms and got a few boundaries to get his fifty in 44 balls but Abhinav was not able to find boundaries and his struggle was ended by Khaleel Ahmed in the first ball of the 18th over.

Khaleel executed his slower ones and yorkers to perfection and gave just four runs in his over, making things tougher for Gujarat.

Anrich Nortje came to bowl the 19th over with Gujarat needing 33 runs in 12 balls. The pacer conceded just 3 runs in the first three balls but Tewatia had other plans and he hit Nortje for three consecutive sixes, to bring the equation in Gujarat’s favour.

With 12 runs needed off 6 balls for Gujarat to win, experienced Ishant had the big task in hand but he held his nerves well. The pacer gave just three runs in the first three balls with Hardik facing two of them and then removed the dangerous Tewatia in the fourth ball to keep Delhi Capitals in the game.

Rashid Khan scored just 2 runs in the fifth delivery and Ishant finished it well to give one run in the last ball to restrict Gujarat to 125/6 in 20 overs and win it for Delhi.

Earlier, Delhi Capitals won the toss and opted to bat first and were off to a horrific start, losing five wickets inside the Power-play. The horror show started in the very first ball of the innings when Phil Salt toe-ended a swinging delivery bowled by Shami to cover, where David Miller took a simple catch.

Thereafter, confusion between Priyam Garg and David Warner resulted in the Delhi Capitals’ skipper getting run out with Rashid Khan dislodging the bails at the non-striker’s end, on a no-ball. Rilee Rossow, who came into the playing XI for Mitchell Marsh, also couldn’t do much as a classic swing delivery from Shami dismissed the South African batter.

Continuing his sensational show, Shami bowled another beauty to Manish Pandey to remove him with Saha taking a stunning catch behind the wicket. In the last delivery of the same over, the duo once again combined to dismiss Priyam Garg, who failed to negotiate the slightly late movement, leaving Delhi Capitals struggling at 23-5 at the end of 5 overs.

Shami, who was extracting the juice available in the pitch due to wet weather around, had the chance of getting the fifer but Axar Patel and Aman Hakim Khan, negotiated his last over well. However, Shami, who bowled all his four overs on the trot, single-handedly had Delhi on the mat by the end of the seventh over.

From there on, Axar and Aman rebuilt the Delhi innings as they rotated the strike nicely and got the odd boundary and six against the Gujarat bowlers. The pair added a sedate fifty-run stand for the sixth wicket but Mohit Sharma was once again incisive in the middle overs and ended that partnership, by taking the huge wicket of Axar.

Delhi were 73-6 after 14 overs when Axar got out and they needed something miraculous from their lower-order batter to post a competitive total. The likes of Aman Khan and Ripal Patel showed some intent and hit Mohit Sharma and Josh Little for a few timely boundaries and sixes, giving some impetus to the Capitals’ innings.

Aman smashed Mohit for a six to complete his half-century in 41 balls as Delhi looked to get the desired finish. In the penultimate over of the innings, Ripal welcomed Rashid Khan with a six but the leg-spinner removed Aman Khan later in the over with Abhinav Manohar taking a good catch at the deep.

Mohit Sharma dismissed Ripal Patel to get his 100th IPL wicket and bowled an excellent last over to keep Delhi Capitals to 130-8 in 20 overs, which was enough in the end.

Brief scores:

Delhi Capitals 130/8 in 20 overs (Aman Hakim Khan 51, Axar Patel 27; Md Shami 4-11, Mohit Sharma 2-33) beat Gujarat Titans 125/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 59 not out, Abhinav Manohar 26; Ishant Sharma 2-23, Khaleel Ahmed 2-24) by 5 runs.

ALSO READ: Bangalore beat Lucknow in low-scoring affair

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Bangalore beat Lucknow in low-scoring affair

The win has taken Bangalore to ten points and fifth place on a better net run rate, while Lucknow have slipped to third place but still have ten points…reports Asian Lite News

Josh Hazlewood and Karn Sharma picked two wickets each in a superb bowling performance on a sluggish black soil pitch as Royal Challengers Bangalore defended a modest 126 and beat Lucknow Super Giants by 18 runs at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Apart from the duo, Mohammed Siraj, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga and Harshal Patel took a wicket each to bowl out Bangalore for 108 in 19.5 overs as Lucknow’s batters didn’t show any application and patience for stitching partnerships to chase down a small total.

The win has also taken Bangalore to ten points and fifth place on a better net run rate, while Lucknow have slipped to third place but still have ten points. Bangalore had an early breakthrough on the second ball of their defence as Kyle Mayers pulled straight to mid-on against Siraj. Krunal Pandya injects some momentum by hitting Siraj for three successive fours in the third over.

But Krunal fell in the next over, chipping a wide of the crease delivery from Maxwell towards long-off. Ayush Badoni, opening in place of K.L. Rahul, who badly injured his right leg while fielding, went for a lofted drive but went straight to a leaping extra cover.

Hasaranga was next to enter the wickets column, drawing Deepak Hooda out of the crease with a googly, beating him on the inside edge, and was stumped. Karn joined the wicket-taking list as Nicholas Pooran miscued a heave to deep square leg.

K. Gowtham hit Karn for a six and four and followed it up with another six down the ground off Hasaranga. But Bangalore hit back as Marcus Stoinis sliced high in the air to long-off and Gowtham was run-out while going for a risky second run.

Ravi Bishnoi was dropped by point but was then run out on the same delivery while going for a second run. Amit Mishra and Naveen-ul-Haq hung around before the latter nicked behind off Hazlewood.

With Lucknow needing 24 runs off the last eight balls, Rahul surprisingly came out to bat. But he couldn’t make a run off three deliveries he faced, including off a no-ball, as Mishra miscued a loft to keeper off Patel in the final over, giving Bangalore a welcome victory.

Earlier, Bangalore began their innings well by not losing wickets in the Power-play. But as the innings progressed, they kept losing wickets as Naveen picked 3-30 while Bishnoi and Mishra had identical figures of 2-21 to tie down Bangalore.

Barring a 44 from captain Faf du Plessis, Bangalore’s batters weren’t given any breathing space to break the shackles and could only hit eight boundaries in their innings, the lowest by any team in IPL 2023 till now.

On the first ball of the innings, Krunal Pandya got turn and bounce, showing signs of what would come in the game. Virat Kohli pushed at it and got a thick outside edge past the first slip, for four. Lucknow were dealt a huge blow as Rahul walked off the field after injuring his right leg while trying to stop a boundary on the last ball of the second over.

After three overs of no boundaries, du Plessis broke the shackles by lofting Naveen over long-off for six, followed by Kohli steering him between backward point and third man for four. Kohli then broke a 3.3-over period of no boundaries by driving through cover on an overpitched delivery by Yash Thakur.

But in the ninth over, Kohli fell as he was nowhere near the pitch of the ball while coming down to counter a googly from Bishnoi and was stumped easily. From there, Bangalore endured a slide as Anuj Rawat pulled straight to deep mid-wicket off Gowtham, Maxwell missed a reverse sweep off Bishnoi and trapped plumb lbw, followed by Suyash Prabhudessai miscuing to long-off against Mishra.

The drizzle then got heavier and forced players and umpires to go off the field in the 16th over. After 25 minutes, play resumed and Dinesh Karthik pulled Naveen for four and went deep in the crease to pull Mishra for six. But the veteran leg-spinner bounced back by having du Plessis slice a leg break to cover running in from his right.

Bangalore’s implosion continued as Mahipal Lomror was trapped lbw by a ball from Naveen keeping low while Karthik was run out by a brilliant direct hit from Thakur turning around in his follow-through at the non-striker’s end. Naveen then picked two more wickets and gave away only six runs in the last over to keep Bangalore below 130.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bangalore 126/9 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 44, Virat Kohli 31; Naveen-ul-Haq 3-30, Ravi Bishnoi 2-21) beat Lucknow Super Giants 108 all out in 19.5 overs (K. Gowtham 23, Amit Mishra 19; Josh Hazlewood 2-15, Karn Sharma 2-20) by 18 runs

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