Vaibhav Sooryavanshi showed great maturity while wickets were falling at the other end as his masterful 96 helped RR recover and post 200+ on the board. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel fell early, but Ravindra Jadeja’s 45 off 35 balls and the finish from Donovan Ferreira, who made 38* off 11 balls, helped RR post 214/6 in 20 overs. Jason Holder and Kagiso Rabada picked up 2 wickets apiece. The game is in the balance and can go either way from here.
GT rattles RR in the power play with two quick wickets; RR recovers to keep the match in balance after the power play
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came out to open for RR while Mohammed Siraj had the ball in hand for GT. Siraj drew first blood in the contest as he removed Jaiswal for 1 off 2 balls with a hard length delivery on leg, which Jaiswal pulled to deep backward square leg. Dhruv Jurel came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Kagiso Rabada shared the new ball from the other end. Jurel got the first boundary of the day as he cut it aerially behind square for a boundary. Rabada got his first wicket as he removed Jurel for 7 off 6 balls with one boundary to his name. Jurel was early into the shot and looked to whip it leg side and got a leading edge to Gill, who took a good catch at mid-on. Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary with a steer through first slip and short third man for a boundary.
Siraj continued as Vaibhav cleared his front leg and cleared Rabada at mid-on for a boundary. Siraj gifted 5 wides to the batting side as a gift. Vaibhav then swung it off the inner half of the bat and got it past fine leg region for a boundary. Vaibhav whipped the ball along the ground to the long leg fence for a boundary. Rabada continued as Vaibhav sat deep in his crease and lifted it over mid-off for a boundary. Vaibhav went big again as he went straight down the ground over the bowler’s head for the maximum.
Siraj continued as Jadeja got on top of the bounce and cut it square of the wicket for a boundary through cover point and backward point. The 50 came up for RR in 4.3 overs. Siraj struggled with his shoulder but carried on bowling. Vaibhav then stepped away to the leg side and flayed it over backward point for a boundary. Prasidh Krishna came into the attack to bowl the last over of the power play. Jadeja took him on as he got into the position and hooked him over fine leg for the maximum.
The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Jadeja then helped the ball on its way over short fine leg for a boundary. One bounce and over the ropes. Jadeja took on Krishna again as he bowled it short, as Jadeja stood tall and pulled it past the fielder inside the ring for another boundary. RR reached 70/2 in 6 overs of power play with Vaibhav unbeaten on 31 off 17 balls alongside Jadeja unbeaten on 26 off 11 balls. The game was in the balance at this stage.
Ravindra Jadeja retires hurt at a crucial juncture as GT roar back in the contest with a flurry of wickets in the middle overs
Washington Sundar came into the attack post the power play. He bowled a tight first over. Jason Holder was brought into the attack next. Jadeja charged down the track and hammered it over backward point for a boundary. Jadeja needed treatment on his elbow, and we paused for the first Strategic Time Out of the match. Jason came back post the power play and kept it tight.
Ravindra Jadeja retired hurt at the close of 8 overs, and captain Riyan Parag walked out to bat next. Rashid Khan came into the attack as well. Parag welcomed him with a swat over midwicket for a boundary as the short ball was dispatched away. Parag pummelled the ball over the corner for the maximum. Vaibhav got into the act as he crouched to pull it over backward square leg for the maximum. The 100 came up for RR in 8.5 overs.
Jason Holder continued and got the breakthrough for his side as he removed Parag for 11 off 6 balls with one four and one six to his name as the flick from Parag went to Rabada at deep midwicket, who made no mistake. Dasun Shanaka came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace as RR were 103/3 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game.
Prasidh Krishna came back into the attack as Vaibhav welcomed him by hitting it over cover point for a boundary. Then came a moment in the match. Vaibhav was batting on 46* when he pulled it to deep backward square leg, where Sai Sudharsan was late to react and came in late to drop the catch. Krishna came back to pull things back. Holder continued and got rid of Shanaka for 3 off 9 balls as the batter was late on the pull shot and feathered it through to the keeper Buttler. Jofra Archer came out to bat next.
He got off the mark as well. Prasidh Krishna continued as Archer smacked him away towards deep forward square leg for the maximum. Krishna hit back and got rid of Archer for 7 off 4 balls with one six to his name as the batter threw his bat at it and got the thick outside edge through to the keeper Buttler, who made no mistake. Ravindra Jadeja walked back to resume his innings with his right elbow strapped up heavily.
Vaibhav reached his fifty in 31 balls, and it has been a mature innings from the youngster. RR were 120/5 in 13 overs when the second Strategic Time Out was taken. Kagiso Rabada returned to the attack post the break as Vaibhav opened his shoulders and slammed it over wide mid-off for the maximum to welcome him back to the bowling crease. Vaibhav got hit on the helmet, and a mandatory concussion check was done on him.
Siraj came back into the attack to bowl his final over and the 15th over of the innings. Siraj was welcomed with a maximum as Vaibhav shuffled across and helped it away over fine leg for the maximum. There was an overthrow given away as well. RR reached 138/5 in 15 overs with Vaibhav unbeaten on 67 off 37 balls, while Jadeja was unbeaten on 36 off 26 balls. Big 5 overs lie ahead for both teams.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 96 & Donovan Ferreira’s pyro techniques help RR post 214/6 in 20 overs
Jason Holder continued as Vaibhav got back and slapped it over the top of extra cover for a boundary. Vaibhav then hung back and flat-batted it over long-off for the maximum. Vaibhav was not done yet as he flat-batted it over wide mid-off for a boundary. Washington Sundar came back to bowl the 17th over. Vaibhav then got underneath it and lofted it over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Vaibhav got down on one knee and swept it over the deep backward square leg fence for the maximum.
Kagiso Rabada returned and got the breakthrough for his side as he removed Vaibhav for a magnificent 96 off 47 balls with 8 fours and 7 sixes to his name as he hit the upper cut down to Prasidh Krishna at deep third man. Donovan Ferreira came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Prasidh Krishna came to bowl the 19th over as Ferreira drove it through the covers for a boundary. Ferreira then looked to pull it away and got the top edge that went over short fine leg for a boundary. Rashid Khan came to bowl the final over of the innings. Ferreira took on Rashid as he rocked back and whacked it down the ground over long-on for the maximum.
Ferreira got down on one knee and slog swept it flat and hard over deep midwicket for the maximum. The 200 came up for RR in 19.3 overs. Ferreira then again shuffled across the stumps and thumped it over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Ferreira got a brace and then hit Rashid again with a smash over wide long-off for the maximum. 27 runs came off the final over.
RR finished with a competitive 214/6 in 20 overs, with Jadeja unbeaten on 45 off 35 balls with 5 fours and one six to his name, while Donovan Ferreira was unbeaten on 38 off 11 balls with 2 fours and 4 sixes to his name. 6 extras in the form of wides given by the fielding side.
Jason Holder was the pick of the bowlers for GT with figures of 2/27 in 4 overs. Kagiso Rabada bowled well for his 2/35 in 4 overs. Mohammed Siraj finished with 1/42 in 4 overs. Prasidh Krishna finished with 1/42 in 4 overs. Washington Sundar finished with 0/23 in 2 overs. Rashid Khan went for 45 in 2 overs. So, this means that GT needs 215 runs to win off 20 overs.
Who’s Winning, GT or RR?Â
RR has got the runs on the board. The pitch looked a tad two-paced, but if dew comes in, it favours GT. But if RR gets early wickets, they will have a chance in this match. So, this match at the interval can go either way, but the last over, with 27 runs, has given some momentum to RR. Let’s see how this match shapes up from here. Anyone can win from here.
Also Read:Â GT VS RR: Yashasvi Jaiswal Urged To Leave RR.