RR vs PBKS Highlights, IPL 2024: Sam Curran stars with 63 as Punjab Kings defeat Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets

Sandeep Sharma in the attack and Curran starts with a single. Ashutosh with a single of his own as they keep chipping away at the target. Anorther single by Curran to get his 50. And the over ends with a 6!! 10 from the over

From behind the stumps, Sanju Samson tried his best to encourage his lead spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. He repeatedly yelled: “Vere level anna.” You are bowling at a higher level. Or “semma ball, anna!” Great ball brother. Yet, Ashwin knew he was not bowling well. Not that he was listless, he seldom is. He piled on dots, delightfully varying pace, release points and trajectory. But there is a level you expect from him, the wit, smarts, deception. All these were a notch lower than we, and undoubtedly, he would have realised. The carrom ball epitomised his off day. One of his staple balls, he always messed up his lengths when bowling this variation. Twice, the off-colour Jitesh Sharma, punished his carrom balls for sixes. The dry, sluggish pitch was supposed to aid him, but it seemed inimical to Ashwin’s wishes. He still ended up with reasonable analysis—4-0-31-0, but Ashwin his bowling was not quite at “vere level”.

Avesh in to bowl this one and there's a chance of a run out but Jaiswal misses!! Could have sent Curran packing that one. A single off the third next and Ashitosh on strike. He takes a single as well. Ufff!! Almost another catch as Curran's leading edge just goes over Avesh. Ashutosh with ramped shot to get a boundary to end the over. 8 from it

Chahal back in the attack and Curran takes 2 to start this one off. The next ball is a wide and the extra ball is slapped for a four!! jitesh on strike now and he tries to go over mid-off and holes out to Parag in the deep. Huge wicket!!

Jitesh Sharma c Riyan Parag b Chahal 22(20)

Trent Boult getting a wicket in the first over T20 matches is nothing new. So when he did dismiss Prabhsimran Singh to begin RR's defence of what appeared to be a low total, there should be no eyebrows raised. But in the moments leading up to that dismissal, there wasn't certainty. A close up of Boult's face actually conveyed the emotions of a worried man because at short-third stood Yuzvendra Chahal, when the ball went high up. Chahal is not the most accomplished fielder you'd come across in the tournament. So when he went down on his back even before the ball finished its downward curve, it seemed a drop was imminent. But using a clumsy reverse-cup technique that didn't quite qualify for Australian, Chahal somehow held on. What would have been an easy catch, eventually made it uneasily into Chahal's hands and Boult broke into a smile. Never in doubt.

Ash win to finish off his spell with this over and Jitesh with a huge six off the second ball!! Takes a single next and Curran goes on strike. And he has smashed the next ball for a flat six!! 14 from this over 

Boult to bowl the 14th and Currans cuts to get a four off the first ball!! Flicks leg side to take a single next and Jitesh is on strike now. He takes a single as well but off the 4th. Just 2 more to end. 8 from this one.

Ashwin back in the attack and starts with a dot delivery. Curran next slashes the second ball through the covers for a four!! Just 5 from this over ultimately. 

Chahal continues and Jitesh with a single to go off strike. Curran returns the favour with a single of his own. Just singles at the moment and RR won't mind that at all. Curran finally gets a boundary!! 1 to end the over. 10 from it

Avesh Khan on the attack now and starts with 4 dot balls as Jitesh stays rooted on strike. Finally goes off strike with a cut and gets 2. Just 3 from this one

Chahal continues and Curran sweeps and squeezes out a gap to find a boundary to start. 2 more singles next as the batters keep rotating strike. 8 from the over

Ashwin continues and yields just a single from the first 3 deliveries as Punjab have settled into a rut. Jitesh is the new man in and pulls the veteran for a six to start his innings! 7 from the over

Spin from both ends now with Chahal in the attack. Starts with a dot as Bairstow looks for a gap but finds a fielder. Takes a single next and Curran on strike. He takes a single as well. Bairstow clears the in-field off the 4th ball but a fielder is there to cut it at 1 run. And Bairstwo is gone!!! Tries for a big hit and  Fereira and Parag combine in the deep to complete the catch.

Bairstow c Riyan Parag b Chahal 14(22) 

Ashwin in the attack now and gives away just 2 from the first 3 deliveries. 2 more singles off the next couple of deliveries as Punjab struggle for boundaries. Another excellent over. Just 5 off this. 

Sandeep Sharma continues and Sam Curran manages 1 run from the first 2 deliveries. Bairstow on strike next and he struggles to get away, playing back to back dots. Excellent over, Just5 2 to end the powerplay

AANND ANOTHER!! SAME OVER!! Shashank moving across and the fuller length gets him. Beaten by pace and that's plumb. No need to review. Huge blwo for Punjab

Shashank Singh lbw b Avesh Khan 0(2)

Avesh Khan introduced in the attack and Bairstow takes a single to put Rossouw on strike. And he tries to go for another shot but he drives it straight into the hands of the fielder at square. 

Rossouw c Jaiswal b Avesh Khan 22(13)

Sandeep Sharma continues and starts with back to back dots. Bairstow gets another inside edge next and takes the single. Rossouw creams the next ball for a boundary as his onslaught continues. Flicks the last ball leg side to get another 4. 9 from the over.

Boult continues and Bairstow clears the inner circle for a four!! Swings at the 3rd ball, gets an inside edge for a single. Rossouw on strike, rocks back and places the next ball for a four!! Goes again,. clears the in-field easily and finds 4 more!! 13 from the over

Sandeep Sharma in the attack and starts with an inswinger which Birstwo defends before taking a single to go off strike. Rilee Rossouw on strike next and he also defends the first. He then swings the next one to deep midwicket for 2 runs. Slaps the next one for a four which beats the fielder but only just. 7 from this one

Prabhsimran Singh and Jonny Bairstow open for Punjab and Trent Boult with the new ball. Starts with a dot before Singh gets an edge and 2 runs. Swings at the next one and that's straight down the ground for a 4!! And he's gone the next ball|!! Gets an edge and that's up in the air and Yuzvendra chahal with the catch!!

Prabhsimran c Chahal b Boult 6(4)

When a full toss veered onto the off-stump, Trent Boult, who fancies himself as a hard-hitting batsman and has centuries to show in the club circuit in Tauranga, where he still turns up with his brother Jono, made room for himself and tried to steer the ball towards the fence. The ball travelled where he had designed to, though it hit the upper half of his bat. Boult grinned. The next ball was a yorker, a neat one on the leg-stump. He tried to work it on the leg-side, but it took an inside edge, ricocheted off his body and lobbed over the keeper to the boundary. He hadn’t the slightest idea of where he had played the ball, as he was frantically searching for it, but it yielded the same result as the previous ball. Kings even burned a review. Boult would keep grinning.

Avesh Khan to face the remaining deliveries and starts with 2 runs, which is followed by a single. Boult on strike and he has struck it high and he's dropped!! And is that a run out? Yes it is. RR are 144/9.

Last over now and Parag will be the one on strike. Harshal in the attack and starts with an off pace delivery which Parag misses. Dipping delivery next and that has been given LBW!! RR review. And three reds.

Riyan Parag lbw b Harshal Patel 48(34)

Ellis in the atatck and a huge shout for an LBW. PBKS don't review. Might have been missing leg any way. Another dot abll follows. Ful stop next and Bout gets an edge and a four!! And another mishit and another 4!! And a review now. PBKS thinks it has hit the toes and gone behind. It's of he bat and there's another review lost. 8 from this over

Harshal in to bow the 18th and Parag with a shot that is hit hard but there's a fielder in the deep to keep it at one. Ferreira with 2 next and he goes for a big shot!! Rossouw steaming in to take the catch and he has got hold of it without touchinf the ropes!! Great catch.

Ferreira c Rossouw b Harshal Patel 7(8)

On to the 17th over and Parag starts this one with a straight drive for a 4!! Swings at the next ball, gets an edge and finds the boundary again!! Low full toss by Arshdeep next and Parag almost plays it into the hands of the bowler. He survives but. 9 from the over

Nathan Ellis in the attack now and Ferreira alsmost plays it on to his stumps but gets 2 instead. Parag on strike and he gets an edge and that's just past Bairstow for a four!! 10 from the over

Rahul Chahar in the attack and after a single, Rovman Powell has pushed it straight into the gratedul palms of the bowler!! That's another down!! What is going on with RR? 

Powell c and b Rahul Chahar 4(5) 

A reverse sweep from Ravi Ashwin shouldn’t surprise you. The alchemist of spin bowling, having mastered most deliveries an off-spinner could possibly master, he takes the same streak of enterprise to his batting too. So after smoking Rahul Chahar over longer, he unpacked the reverse sweep (the conventional version is rarely spotted either), to a wrong one on stumps no less. He executed it adeptly. When he moved the front of the line, he realised that he was compressed for space to go through with his shot. But he has remarkably malleable wrists, which twirled and helped him manage a hefty contact with the ball. The ball soared over the backward point fielder to the fence and Ashwin flashed a content smile. He then followed the shot with an extra cover drive to the ropes. After his initial dawdle, the promotion was paying off. It would soon end, but 28 off 19 balls was a reasonable bargain.

Sam Curran back in the attack and Parag slaps him for a four to start this over away!! Takes a single next and Jurel has pulled straight to the fielder for another wicket!!

Dhruv Jurel c Harpreet Brar b Sam Curran 0(1)

Arshdeep Singh in the atatck now and after giving just 2 from the first 3 balls, Parag breaks the shackles to get a boundary!! 50-run partnership also up for the duo. And that's another wicket falls|!! Ashwin has holed out to Shashank in the deep.

Ashwin c Shashank Singh b Arshdeep Singh 28(19) 

Rahul Chahar continues and yields 2 from the first 2 deliveries as the Punjab bowlers keep the batters in check. And ashwin finally gets a hold of the next ball and smashes it for a 6!! Follows that with a four now and that's more like it from RR. Beauiful inside out hit to end the over with a boundary!! 17 from this one

Change in bowling and Harshal Patel is back in the attack. Parag with a single to start this one off. Ashwin returns the favour with a single of his own. RR need some big shots now. On on cue, Parag with a majestic drive to get 4!! A wide next, followed by a single. 10 from this one as well

Chahar will continue and starts with 3 singles from the first 3 deliveries. Encouragig the batter to play against the turn and Ashwin obliges for a chip over the covers for a single. Just 5 from the over 

This was an old-fashioned cut. Sanju Samson leaping with the ball, scrambling back and cutting with both feet in the air. Back in the day, it used to be a speciality of Mohammad Azharuddin, on bouncy tracks where he often struggled to get on top of the ball. Sanju, though, didn’t possess the dexterous wrists of the former India captain and he ended up flapping the ball, from Nathan Ellis, to point. The ball, in the first place, was not cuttable. But Sanju thought it was. Perhaps it was the illusion conjured by the initial back-foot press he has these days, that the ball is shorter than it actually is. But the ball, while at a modest pace, climbed onto him. Azhar’s hands would have bailed him out of the trouble. But Sanju was sucked into the shot, and there was no way out of it.

Harpreet Brar in the attack and Ashwin gets an inside edge and the ball races into the boundary!! Tries a sweep next, gets a top-edge but gets lucky again for 2 runs. 2 more added by Parag as well. 10 from this one  

Rahul Chahar to bowl the next and gets turn starightaway wIth Riyan Parag taking a single. Kohler-Cadmore on str4ike and he decides to go after the spinner and holes out to Jutesh Sharma in the deep!! Another down!!

Kohler-Cadmore c Jitesh Sharma b Rahul Chahar 18(23)

Ellis to bwol the 7th and Samson with a single to start this one off. Kohler-Cadmore with a single of his own as the bowlers force RR to settle for singles. And the pressure pays off as Samson cuts, trying to break free and Rahul Chahar takes the catch at point.

Samson c Rahul Chahar b Nathan Ellis 18(15) 

Harshal Patel in the attack now and is welcomed by Kohler-Cadmore with a straight shot for a four!! Swings at the next and gets proper bat to it but a fielde is there to cut off any run. Pace off delivery next and Kohler-Cadmore swings and misses. Excellent over. 4 from it and the powerplay is done.

Nathan Ellis in the attack now and Kohler-Cadmore has hit the ball high with the bottom-edge and just evades the fielder to get 1 run. Samson with a run as well as the scoreboard keeps ticking. Just 3 from this over

Arshdeep continues and gets an outside edge to maraude 2 runs. And Ellis has thrown the ball and hit the wickets from near the boundary ropes. The batter was in though. Samson pulls the next ball for a four before getting beaten by the third. And a lovely drive from the RR skipper to sweeper cover to get another 4 and reach 500 runs. 10 from the over

Curran in to bowl the next one and Kohler-Cadmore with a defensive stroke to start before smashing his compatriot for a huge six!! That has gone over the long on boundary!! Back to back dots follow. Just the 6 from this one.

Arshdeep Singh steams in for the second over and Samson with a single to start. Kohler-Cadmore on strike now and gets beaten with the ball swinging away from his outside edge. The English player swings at the 4th and takes a single. Almost another wicket for PBKS as Samson gets a  thick outside edge but it drops just short of Bairstwo behind the stumps. Ends the over with a straight drive, down the ground for 4!! 6 from the over

Jaiswal and Kohler-Cadmore open for Rajasthan and Jaiswal with a boundary off Sam Curran to start this over!! The next two are dots as Curran makes a comenack. And would you know it!!! Curran has cleaned up the batter!! Plays it into the stumps. RR already 1 down.

Jaiswal b Sam Curran 4(4)

Punjab: Tanay Thyagarajan, Rishi Dhawan, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Singh Bhatia

Rajasthan: Nandre Burger, Tanush Kotian, Keshav Maharaj, Kuldeep Sen, Donovan Ferreira

There were a few changes in both sides with Tom Kohler-Cadmore coming in for Jos Buttler while Donovan Ferreira will be used as a Impact substitute. For Punjab, Nathan Ellis replaces Kagiso Rabada and Harpreet Brar also comes back in.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal

Prabhsimran Singh, Jonny Bairstow, Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma(w), Sam Curran(c), Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

Sanju Samson: We'll bat first in these conditions. This is a second home for us, we have spend quite a bit of time here. We spent two days to assess on whether there is dew, and there isn't any. The team, the batting and bowling unit are doing great. Everyone is chill and we are excited to come out and play a great game of cricket. I'd be lying if I say no, the camp looks a lot more relaxed. We'll miss Jos and Kohler-Cadmore comes in, and we might have Fereira as an impact sub later.

Sam Curran: Tonight we play a really good team, and we can spoil a few campaigns now and finish with some pride. We've had a really good squad but some of those games we didn't win the big moments. We are about 2-3 wins away from qualifying and we aren't there becasue we didn't capitalise on the big moments. Tonight, we play a good side and I believe in character, I certainly don't want to lose tonight and hopefully I can rub that off on the players. We've lost a few players, KG is out and Nathan Ellis gets a game. Brar also comes back into the line-up.

Rajasthan Royals win toss, opt to bat first against Punjab Kings

13th venue of the season, the most in an IPL season. This has traditionally been a very high scoring venue, with 63m and 60m side boundaries, with the straight boundary at 73m. We are playing on a black soil pitch which is firm and rolled nicely. Surely a surface on which a lot of runs can be scored. The pitch has a few cracks but it generally plays much better than the looks. Last year, both games here were won by the side batting first. Teams prefer doing that because when you are chasing, you are under pressure, but in an India Australia game at this venue, Australia chased a huge score of 222 in the last over. Irrespective on when you bat, there are a lot of runs to be had here, say Deep Dasgupta and WV Raman

31: Sanju Samson is 1 win away from equalling most wins as RR captain

50: This will be Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 50th IPL match

50: Ravichandran Ashwin is 3 catches away from 50 catches in IPL

50: Riyan Parag needs 3 catches for 50 catches in T20s

100: Tom Kohler-Cadmore needs 1 catch for 100 catches in T20s

300: Sanju Samson needs 3 sixes for 300 sixes in T20s

350: Sanju Samson is 2 fours away from 350 fours in IPL

4500: Sanju Samson needs 126 runs for 4500 runs in IPL

(Stats Credit: Rajasthan Royals)

In order to consolidate a Top 2 vfinish, Rajastha Royals will have to win one or both matches, depending on how the other results go. If they lose both matches and stay on 16 points, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings have a chance to finish above them. CSK has a better run rate and will leapfrog RR if they win against RCB while SRH still have 2 games in hand, winning both will get them to 18 points. So RR need to win both matches, which will take them to 20, just to be sure of a Top 2 finish.

May 19: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings at 3.30 PM in Hyderabad

May 19: Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders at 7.30 PM in Guwahati

This season, the 10 teams have been divided into two groups with teams in the same group to play the five teams in the other group twice in the group stage while playing the other four teams in their own group just once.

GROUP A: Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants

GROUP B: Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans

Sanju Samson’s sparkling innings against the Delhi Capitals in a 222-run chase for the Rajasthan Royals ended with a controversial turn of events after the TV umpire deemed him out at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.

Leading a steep chase with a belligerent half-century, his fifth of the season, Samson fell in the 16th over on 86 off 46 deliveries with Shai Hope taking a tricky catch at the long-on boundary.

Samson hit a length ball from Mukesh Kumar to the deep and Hope held onto the ball and came close to touching the boundary cushion while attempting to keep himself in balance. The on-field umpires soon referred the decision upstairs.

While Hope seemingly touched the cushion from certain angles, TV umpire Michael Gough was quick to deem Samson out. The Rajasthan captain, who was midway back towards the dugout, walked back to have an animated discussion with the on-field umpires. Samson also signalled for a DRS review of the decision given by the TV umpire but was eventually sent back.

The IPL 2024 final will be held at Chennai’s Chepauk on May 26 with the Southern city also getting the second qualifier on May 24. Meanwhile, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the first qualifier on May 21 and the Eliminator on May 22.

Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings: Punjab Kings won by 4 wkts

Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 4 wkts

Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings: Lucknow Super Giants won by 21 runs

Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings: Punjab Kings won by 3 wkts

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 2 runs

Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals: Rajasthan Royals won by 3 wkts

Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings: Mumbai Indians won by 9 runs

Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans: Gujarat Titans won by 3 wkts

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings: Punjab Kings won by 8 wkts

Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings: Punjab Kings won by 7 wkts

Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings: Chennai Super Kings won by 28 runs

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings: Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 60 runs