Star India and Lucknow Super Giants pacer Avesh Khan has said that he will prefer to be the best version of himself and try and pull off incredible wins for his team, rather than trying to be Australia pacer Mitchell Starc, who too defended nine runs off the final over against the Rajasthan Royals earlier this week.
While Avesh Khan finished his spell having given away 37 runs, his wickets in the 18th over turned the match on its head, and he then defended nine runs in the final over. Avesh Khan was sending in Yorkers at will, leading to comparisons with what Starc did for the Delhi Capitals against Rajasthan. The star pacer conceded five runs in the 18th over and took two wickets, Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal, before defending nine runs off the final over to finish with a match-winning 3/37.
Avesh Khan came up with a stunning display at the death to deny Rajasthan Royals a comfortable win in Jaipur on Saturday (April 19). An evening that was headlined by 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s impressive IPL debut turned sour for the Royals as they lost their fourth successive game – their second choke on the trot in a run chase.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch report: The dimensions first, 67m and 63m square boundaries, the straight hit is at 73m. It’s pitch number 5 in use today, there’s a nice strong breeze going along, so that shorter boundary will feel a bit bigger. Even covering of grass, should be good pace and bounce on offer for the pacers. A few bare pitches, it’s a hot day and the pitch looks dry. The par score here is 185 and the team getting there should be able to win, reckon Shane Watson and Simon Katich, in their pitch report.
Toss : Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant won the toss and chose to bat with Prince Yadav back in the Playing XI . RR skipper Riyan Parag in absence of Sanju Samson due to injury bought in youngest 14-year old sensation, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Shubham Dubey in the Playing XI.
Aiden Markram, Ayush Badoni’s solid half centuries accompanied by last over blitz by Abdul Samad powers LSG to 180 in 20 overs
Lucknow Super Giants have relied heavily on Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran for their runs this season. But tonight, both these batters were sent packing early. Marsh skied one after mistiming Jofra Archer and Pooran was outfoxed by Sandeep Sharma beautifully to get trapped LBW in the final over of the PowerPlay. At the other end though, Aiden Markram looked in very good touch as he found the boundary at regular intervals to keep the scorecard ticking despite the two crucial wickets at the other end.
LSG were then put under severe pressure as Rishabh Pant endured another failure. Pant looked completely out of sorts and he failed to make a clean connection to a reverse sweep, only to glove it to the ‘keeper to give Wanindu Hasaranga his first wicket. That forced LSG to use their impact sub and send Ayush Badoni to resurrect the innings.
Like he has done on many occasions in the past, Badoni looked solid whereas Markram smashed back-to-back sixes against Hasaranga to inject some momentum into the innings. Badoni then started opening up and showcased his range with successive boundaries off Sandeep as LSG started to recover. Markram, who had gone past fifty, slammed his third six as momentum was now firmly with the batting team. RR then bowled three tight overs to ensure LSG didn’t break free but the platform was set for a big finish.
LSG were 54 for 3 when Pant fell cheaply and Samad was held back for him to be able to maximise damage in the end overs along with Miller. This meant LSG summoned Ayush Badoni as their Impact Player to stabilise the innings, replacing Mitchell Marsh. The consequence of this move was that they couldn’t bring in Mayank Yadav, listed as one of the Impact Subs, even if they had him in their plans.
Frustratingly for LSG, Royals continued with the momentum they had built in the last three overs heading into this phase. To make matters worse, both the half-centurions – Markram and Badoni – were dismissed as well as the hosts really applied the squeeze. At one point, it appeared like they wouldn’t allow LSG to go past 160.
Badoni repaid the faith, scoring 50 in 34, to repair the innings with Markram, who top-scored with 66. But it was truly Samad’s pyrotechnics in the end that lifted a floundering innings.
At the end of the 19th over, LSG had only 153 on the board with David Miller struggling to get going. However, the final over saw Abdul Samad explode in style with four towering sixes that just stunned the bowling side. From potentially staring at a below par total of 160, LSG ended up with 180 on the board as a result of that assault.
Holding his shape and picking deliveries out of Sandeep Sharma’s hand, Samad picked his arc between deep squares and deep midwicket to pummel four sixes in a 27-run final over that gave LSG momentum. Their bowlers may have given LSG the win, but Abdul Samad’s contribution – an unbeaten 10-ball 30 – was as important.
Yashasvi Jaiswals & Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s blitz all in vain as Avesh Khan spoils RR’s near perfect game
It was a start that just had everyone on their feet. Making his debut at the age of 14, Vaibhav Suryavanshi sent his first ball in IPL over covers for a massive six. If that wasn’t enough, he hammered the first ball he faced from Avesh Khan for a massive six as well to make a dream start. At the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal was at his fluent best as he took on pace and spin with aplomb. Markram was welcomed to the crease with consecutive sixes and the PowerPlay was rounded off with another maximum from Jaiswal as the Royals set the ball rolling in the chase.
The spark came early, and it came young when Vaibhav Suryavanshi, all of 14 years and 23 days, strode out for his debut as the youngest player in IPL history when he was brought in as an Impact Player for their 181 chase. And the moment didn’t faze him one bit. Early impressions are that Suryavanshi is fearless. How else can you show that kind of audacity, where you make room and pummel your first ball in the IPL for six over cover Thakur couldn’t believe it, clearly.
The two left-handers continued to make merry post the PowerPlay as well. Ravi Bishnoi was welcomed to the attack with a couple of boundaries and the 14-year-old smashed Digvesh Singh Rathi over the ropes. His impressive debut finally came to an end when Markram found some purchase from the wicket to have him stumped.
Surely that was a one-off. Maybe it was nervous tension. Nope. His second attempt, off just his third ball, was even more audacious. He cleared his front leg, exposing all three stumps, and bludgeoned a six down the ground off Avesh.
Fifth ball, there was even more drama. Avesh thought he’d done enough by banging in a short ball that Suryavanshi top edged. Prince Yadav, running back from midwicket, ended up dropping it and Ravi Bishnoi parried the ball to the boundary.
Rishabh Pant quickly brought on his trump card, Digvesh Rathi, hoping the youngster would swing at one blindly. Suryavanshi showed smarts in playing him out. But before long, he climbed into Rathi, muscling him for a six over deep midwicket an over after hitting Bishnoi straight down the ground.
But on 34, Suryavanshi was deceived in flight by Aiden Markram, who was operating because the accomplished bowlers had been taken to the cleaners by Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who put on 85 off just 8.3 overs. He got one to turn sharply to beat a lunging Suryavanshi. His back foot was in the air, and Pant whipped the bails off. The Suryavanshi show was over, but not before he had left viewers asking for more.
Jaiswal soon raised a half-century off just 31 balls – his fourth half-century in five innings – and seemed set to see the chase through. His picking of lengths against spin was impeccable, until one grave mistake gave LSG an opening they burst through.
From here, the Royals were just content being steady. Jaiswal slowed down a touch after going past fifty and Nitish Rana was dismissed early by Shardul Thakur. Riyan Parag took over the scoring duties as he kept chipping in with boundaries to bring the equation down to a gettable 46 off 30.
To ensure there were no hiccups, Parag cleared his front leg to launch Avesh Khan over long on for a six and in the same over, Jaiswal found the boundary as well. But just when it appeared as if the Royals were cruising, a twist was in store. Avesh Khan delivered a brilliant over that saw him remove both Jaiswal and Parag with two perfectly executed full-length deliveries that turned the game on its head.
Four nights ago in Delhi, RR failed to knock off the two runs they needed off the final ball. Here, they needed four. Shubham Dubey had just been dropped off the previous delivery by David Miller at long-on. This was his shot at redemption, but Avesh Khan stuck his left arm out on his follow-through to stop a straight hit. But there was more to the final over than just those last two deliveries.
The equation came down to 17 off 9 which is when Shimron Hetmyer found the boundary twice much to the relief of the home side. From thereon, Royals should have still gone on to win the game. However, Avesh Khan was back again in the final over to haunt them as he delivered one yorker after another, just like what Mitchell Starc did against the same opposition three days ago. His precision ensured Royals never got that boundary they were desperately looking for as they fell short by two runs.
With RR needing eight off five, Shimron Hetmyer swung wildly to get a thick outside edge to third where Shardul Thakur fumbled to concede a second that wasn’t on. Thakur was immediately sent off to square leg because of the misfield. And guess what happened next Hetmyer played a powerful flick to an attempted leg-stump yorker to a waiting Thakur at backward square-leg.
Avesh Khan then nailed a pin-point yorker off the fourth ball before the Miller drama and his own nifty effort off the final ball to seal an improbable win. At the death. The game was RR’s to lose as they headed into the final five overs, needing only 46 runs with a well-set Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag at the crease. LSG’s stunning comeback with the ball saw them concede only 43 runs in that phase.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Riyan Parag the losing RR skipper said : Feeling a little hard to process the emotions, not sure what we did wrong. We were in the game till the 18-19th over. I probably should have finished it in the 19th over, I blame myself. We just have to put one game together collectively for 40 overs, only then can we win.
We did really well (with the ball), the last over was unfortunate, thought that we would stop them for 165-170. Sandy (Sandeep Sharma) bhai is trusted, he’s only had one bad game. Samad batted really well. We should’ve chased that down. Today was perfect, no complaints about the wicket. We were right in it, just a few balls can cost you an IPL game.
Rishabh Pant the winning LSG skipper said : (Relief or happiness?) I think both. These kind of matches build character. It was an amazing win. As a team, this is going to take us to a different level. These kind of matches can build the character of players and team. These are the positive things we always talk about. Looking forward, I feel we are going to do better. All the credit to the bowlers holding their nerves at the right time.
It’s not easy, especially in a game we’re always behind the game. They (RR) played brilliantly as a batting unit but our bowlers kept their nerve, especially Avesh – he bowled three overs and it was fantastic.
(On the final over) The idea was to take your own time, execute the plan with a clear mindset, taking one ball at a time and take it as deep as possible and trusting your bowler and fielders. We are moving in a positive direction. Just enjoying the win as of now. We are going to sit together and talk about what are the areas to work on after this.
Avesh Khan Player of the Match for his 3 wickets said : My hand is fine, thought I broke it, hit my bone, I couldn’t celebrate. I don’t want to become Mitchell Starc, I just want to become a good Avesh Khan. Yorker is my strength and I try to execute it. If I bowl with clarity, I execute it well. I don’t bowl looking at the scorecard. I didn’t want to concede a boundary in the first three balls.
And the batters would be under pressure. (On Miller’s drop) When the ball went up in the air, I thought he would catch it for sure. After he dropped, just 4 runs were needed, there were a few doubts in my mind, one outside edge or inside edge could go for a boundary. I told myself to bowl a yorker on middle-leg. I think about the team, I just wanted to win the match. This is a big tournament, I will try to bowl the same way in the remaining matches.
For the second game in a row, Rajasthan Royals (RR) stumbled in a seemingly straightforward chase, unable to score nine off the final over. In Jaipur on Saturday night, Avesh Khan’s ice-cool death bowling turned a cruise into chaos, as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) snatched victory from under RR’s nose.
Up until 17 overs of their chase, RR seemed set to break their three-match losing streak. But with 25 needed off 18, Avesh Khan got his execution dead right in a double-wicket over that went for just five. He first dismissed a well-set Yashasvi Jaiswal for 74 when he backed away to scythe a yorker-length delivery behind point.
Then, four balls later, Riyan Parag’s attempt to play a cheeky scoop to a full ball that reversed in to strike his toe caught him plumb in front. RR went into panic mode, and stumbled at the finish line as LSG celebrated a jailbreak that didn’t seem possible.
Pant is still shaking his head and has a cheeky smile on his face as LSG get out of jail. Despair in RR’s camp. Just like the DC game, they needed 9 runs off the final over. They scored 8 on Wednesday and lost in the Super Over. Tonight, at home, they managed to score just 6 runs. Chasing LSG’s 180, they were ahead of the rate throughout the innings as their two young left-handed openers got them off to a flier. 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi made an impact on debut, hit a first ball six and scored an impressive 20-ball 34.
His opening partner – Yashasvi Jaiswal – recorded his third successive fifty. Digvesh Rathi, LSG’s best bowler of the season, went wicketless for the first time and the hosts needed just 25 runs off the last 3 overs with eight wickets in hand. RR were cruising.
That’s when Avesh Khan decided to make it interesting. He removed both the set batters – Jaiswal and Parag – in the same over. Hetmyer struck a couple of boundaries in the 19th over off Prince which brought the equation down to ‘9 needed off 6’ for the second time in as many matches. Avesh Khan held his nerve while the Royals capitulated once again.
RR were on top for most parts of the game. Removed Marsh, Pooran and Pant cheaply. Despite the Markram-Badoni partnership, they were able to keep a lid on the scoring rate. Sandeep’s last over went for 27 runs but all that momentum gained by LSG was squashed in the powerplay by Jaiswal and Suryavanshi.
But they’ve somehow ended up on the losing side. Two agonising losses and it’ll be tough for them to recover. LSG, on the other hand, jump to the fourth spot with this win Their bowlers have delivered under pressure. If they can find a way to make inroads in the powerplay, they’ll be even more lethal.
With five wins now, LSG will be buoyed. They will be hosting the formidable Delhi Capitals next on Tuesday. Royals would now bank on RCB’s poor home record this season to break their losing run as they travel to Bengaluru next for the clash on Thursday.
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