PBKS vs RR: Rajasthan Royals defeated Punjab Kings by 4 wickets and kept their hopes alive for the playoffs

Rajasthan Royals defeated Punjab Kings by four wickets in Match 66 of IPL 2023, in Dharamshala on Friday. Chasing a target of 188 runs, RR reached 189/6 in 19.4 overs, courtesy of a late blitz by Shimron Hetmyer (46 off 28 balls). Meanwhile, Devdutt Padikkal (51) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (50) grabbed key half-centuries. Kagiso Rabada took two wickets for PBKS' bowling department. PBKS reached 188/5 in 20 overs, courtesy of a knock of 49 runs off 31 balls by Sam Curran, packed with four fours and two sixes. Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma (44) and Shahrukh Khan (41*) also played key knocks for Punjab. For RR's bowling department, Navdeep Saini took three wickets. Read the match report of the PBKS vs RR clash and share your thoughts in the comments.

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PBKS vs RR: IPL 2023 Match Report

The match began with Trent Boult picking his seventh first-over wicket with a caught-and-bowled of Prabhsimran Singh. Navdeep Saini then dismissed Atharva Taide to give another blow to Punjab Kings. Adam Zampa then closed out the powerplay with the wicket of Dhawan and added another one when he rattled Liam Livingstone's stumps with the batter swinging wildly across the line.

The Kings batters kept going for their shots despite losing wickets as they had an outside chance of qualifying for the playoffs. They had to go hard in the powerplay in pursuit of a big total. On this occasion, though, they didn't succeed.

Jitesh Sharma and Sam Curran rebuilt the inning. Together, they hit only two fours and two sixes by the time they put up a fifty-run stand. At the time, their partnership run rate of 7.69 did not do justice to the good batting conditions, but they were forced to play in that manner because of Zampa and Yuzvendra Chahal's tidy spells.

Jitesh tore into the 14th over bowled by Saini. Jitesh went 4, 6, 4 at the start but it proved to be anti-climactic with the batter out on 44 next ball but their partnership of 64 in 7.2 overs gave Kings hope of a respectable total.

Chahal and Boult leaked runs in the death overs

With Kings on 141 after 18 overs, Chahal came to bowl. The purple-cap holder's over proved to be the innings' most expensive as both Shahrukh and Curran smashed him all over for 28 runs. Together, they added 46 in the last 12 balls. Kings scored 70 in their last five overs after a poor start.

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PBKS vs RR: IPL 2023 Match Report

Buttler registered his third duck in a row. Padikkal and Jaiswal scored boundaries through the point region with the Kings' bowlers trying to bowl wide. They didn't let Arshdeep Singh, Curran, or Kagiso Rabada settle and together added 73 runs n 8.1 overs.

While Padikkal dominated, Jaiswal looked to build his innings while the required run rate also remained in check. However, Padikkal and Samson fell in quick succession and the Royals slid from 85 for 1 to 90 for 3.

Hetmyer, Parag, and Jurel sealed the match

Hetmyer started quickly with two sixes and allowed Jaiswal to continue playing his role. Jaiswal fell soon after getting to fifty but Hetmyer carried on to score 46 off 28 and Riyan Parag also chipped in with two sixes off Rabada to play a cameo of 20 off 12.

Though they failed to secure the match, the responsibility of that fell to Jurel, who held his ground and sealed the match with a straight six off Rahul Chahar in the final over.