LSG put in a disciplined bowling display led by Mohsin Khan‘s 2-wicket haul, while Prince Yadav and veteran Mohammed Shami picked up 2 wickets apiece as well and kept the runs under check. For RR, it was a struggle at the top with plenty of starts and getting to the 20s, but no one really kicked on. Ravindra Jadeja’s 43* off 29 balls enabled RR to get to a fighting total of 159/6 in 20 overs. This match can go either way from here.
Mohammed Shami’s double strike rocks RR in power play
Put into bat first, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came out to bat for RR while Mohammed Shami had the ball in hand for LSG. Jaiswal, after surviving a close LBW appeal, hit the first boundary of the match with a glance down to the fine leg fence. Prince Yadav had the ball in hand from the other end. RR got bonus runs as a gift from the LSG side. Vaibhav then flicked it away for a boundary to the midwicket region. He then rocked back and cut the short ball through cover point for a boundary.
Shami continued as Jaiswal went up and over cover point for a boundary. Jaiswal was on a roll as he opened the bat face and guided it past short third man for a boundary. He completed a hat-trick of boundaries with a loft over mid-off for a boundary. Shami had the last laugh as he used the short ball to great effect as Jaiswal gloved it to the keeper Pant, who took a good catch leaping upwards.
Dhruv Jurel came out to bat next, and he got the outside edge through to the keeper as he bowled a beauty, as Shami had two wickets in two balls. Captain Riyan Parag came out to bat next. Mohsin Khan came into the attack next. Mohsin bowled 5 dots and then removed Vaibhav off the sixth ball of the over for 8 off 11 balls with 2 fours to his name as Digvesh Rathi took a good catch. Shimron Hetmyer came out to bat next.
Shami bowled a hat-trick ball as a wide ball. Parag then flicked it away through midwicket for a boundary. Mohsin Khan came to bowl the last over of the power play. Parag then hammered it down the ground over mid-on for a boundary. At the end of the power play, RR were 44/3 with Parag unbeaten on 9 off 9 balls while Hetmyer was unbeaten on 2 off 3 balls. The top 3 were back into the hut.
LSG chips away at the wickets to keep RR in check in the middle overs
Mayank Yadav came into the attack post the power play. Parag flicked him away over deep backward square leg for the maximum as RR were 54/3 in 7 overs, as we paused for the first Strategic Time Out of the match. Digvesh Rathi came into the attack next. Rathi bowled a decent first over. Prince Yadav came back into the attack, and he dismissed Parag for 20 off 19 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name as he was holed out in the deep. Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat next.
Mayank Yadav came back into the attack next. Hetmyer welcomed him back by picking it up and whipping it away over square leg for the maximum. Hetmyer slapped it away past deep square leg for a boundary. Hetmyer got forward and drove it down the ground past mid-off for a boundary. RR were 76/4 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the contest.
Mohsin Khan came back into the attack, and he removed Hetmyer for 22 off 18 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name as the leading edge went to Prince Yadav at mid-off. Donovan Ferreira came out to bat next. Mohsin bowled a good last over. Rathi continued and bowled a tight over. Ferreira broke the shackles as he hit Shami for a boundary, where Mayank misjudged the catch, and the ball went away for a boundary. Shami finished his excellent spell. The Strategic Time Out was taken as RR were 89/5 in 13 overs.
Rathi continued after the break and bowled another quiet over. Mayank Yadav returned to the attack to bowl the 15th over of the innings. The 100 came up for the Royals in 14.3 overs. A bad mix-up between Jadeja and Ferreira took place, but luckily, the batter Ferreira got back in his crease on time. Ferreira then hit the last ball of the over by backing away and throwing his hands at it, and got the thick outside edge to the deep third man fence for a boundary.
RR were 107/5 in 15 overs with Ferreira batting unbeaten on 20 off 17 balls and Jadeja unbeaten on 11 off 12 balls.
Late overs flurry helps RR post 159/6 in 20 overs
Prince Yadav came back into the attack, and he struck for his side, removing Donovan Ferreira for 20 off 19 balls with 2 fours to his name as the slower ball did the trick for the bowler at deep third man. Impact Player Shubham Dubey came out to bat next. Mohsin Khan returned to the attack, and he bowled a decent over. Mohsin finished his spell. Digvesh Rathi came to bowl his final over. Dubey got on the front foot and threw his hands at it and sliced it up and over backward point for a boundary.
Prince Yadav came to bowl the 19th over. Dubey cleared his front leg and drove it down the ground for a boundary past mid-off. Dubey managed to get a boundary away as he opened the bat face and steered it in the gap between backward point and short third man for a boundary. Mayank Yadav came to bowl the final over of the innings. Jadeja got his first boundary away by pulling it flat and hard over midwicket for a boundary.
Jadeja then climbed into it as he waited for the slower ball and powered it down the ground over the bowler’s head for a boundary. The 150 came up for RR in 19.4 overs. Mayank conceded 50 runs in his quota of 4 overs. Jadeja finished things off in style as he went for the pull shot and got a top edge that went over deep backward square leg for the maximum. 20 runs came off the final over.
RR finished with 159/6 in 20 overs. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 43 off 29 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name, while Dubey was unbeaten on 19 off 11 balls with 3 fours to his name. 5 extras given by the fielding side.
For LSG, Mohsin Khan was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/17 in 4 overs. Prince Yadav supported him well for his 2/29 in 4 overs, while Mohammed Shami finished with 2/30 in 4 overs. Digvesh Rathi was excellent in his 0/26 in 4 overs. Mayank Yadav went for 56 runs in 4 overs. This means that the target for LSG is exactly 160 runs to win off 20 overs.
Who’s Winning, RR or LSG?Â
LSG have done well to restrict RR to 159/6 in 20 overs. They bowled with disciplined lines and lengths. But RR managed through Jadeja to get to 159. This pitch isn’t the best to bat on, but LSG will fancy chasing 160 runs and will be the favourite. But this match is up for grabs and still can go either way. Let’s see how the chase unfolds for all of us.
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