PBKS vs GT IPL 2023 Live Streaming Match Updates: Punjab Kings' captain Shikhar Dhawan, second left, with his team walks back to pavilion after wining against Rajasthan Royals, in Guwahati, India, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (AP)Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings IPL 2023 Highlights: Openers Shikhar Dhawan (86*) and Prabhsimran Singh (60) led the way from the front against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati as Punjab Kings scored 197/4 in their quota of 20 overs after being put in to bat first by RR skipper Sanju Samson on Wednesday.
With RR playing two of their ‘home’ matches in the Northeastern city, a winning performance from Samson’s side will not only build their brand value in Guwahati, it will also expand their fan base in the region, which has seen precious little IPL action over the years.
Playing XIs: Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan(c), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma(w), Shahrukh Khan, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh; Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(w/c), Devdutt Padikkal, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal
Scroll down for IPL 2023 RR vs PBKS Live Score Updates:
Rajasthan Royals
192/7 (20.0)Punjab Kings
197/4 (20.0)Punjab Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by 5 runs
Ayush Badoni of Lucknow Super Giants bats during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow, India, Saturday, April 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Surjeet Yadav)
Ellis: Just stoked to get the win, pleased to get some awards but from a team's point of view nice to get that win. In T20 every ball counts, staying in the moment is really the key. When I was bowling in the backend, I was trying to get my variations right and calculate what the best ball is at that time. For me it's cross-seam and it worked out really well tonight.
"There were some nervous moments, I was trying to keep my calm and discussing plans with my bowlers. Was happy with the score we put up. We scoring 197 and my bowlers giving those early wickets and then Nathan came in and bowled supebly. It was a full team effort. These 2 games we got a great start, Prabh did really well and I tried my best to increase my strike-rate. We want to keep the momentum going as we got a good batting line-up. We respect the opponents' bowlers but want to keep the intent and aggression going," admits Shikhar Dhawan, the captain of the Punjab Kings.
After the match is done, Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson says: "To be honest, it was a very good track to bat on, not much movement with the new ball and they batted really well, had the momentum in the powerplay. Our bowlers used the variations on a high-scoring wicket and I thought we did well to restrict them to 197. Jos wasn't fully fit (injured his finger while taking the catch), the thinking behind keeping Padikkal (in the middle order) was to tackle their two spinners in the middle overs. The coaches have put a lot of work behind him (on Dhruv Jurel), we had a work week camp before the IPL, but the way they have worked a lot of time in our academies (during off-season), having faced 1000s of balls and I'm happy with the way they're progressing. I was expecting the dew to come in the second innings, but it was evident that it was there right at the start, need to be prepared better for such things in the next game."
Sandip G writes: "When Dhruv Jurel strode into bat as an Impact Player, for his first IPL innings, the game seemed beyond Rajasthan Royals’ grasp. At that juncture, they required 74 off 30 balls. A few lusty blows from Shimron Hetmyer chopped down the target to 34 off 12 balls. All Jurel was expected to do was give the strike back to Hetmyer. He did not. Instead, he bludgeoned Arshdeep Singh down the ground for a four, before he screamed the next ball through extra cover for the most gorgeous of sixes with the most fluid of bat-swings. He was not finished. When Arshdeep reverted to over the stumps, he slouched and scooped him over the keeper’s head, reducing the target to 18 off seven balls. It required an impeccably accurate Sam Curran, channeling all his wisdom, to deny Rajasthan Royals an unseemly heist, but Jurel has logged into the cricketing consciousness of IPL watchers."
Jurel hits the final ball of the match for a boundary, but it's not enough.
Wonderful bowling from Sam Curran. Jason Holder can only hit the ball to the long off fielder and the Royals batters run one run.
10 runs needed off one ball! Divine intervention, and a no ball needed.
One run comes off the fourth ball of the final over.
New batter Jason Holder is on strike. He needs to hit both the next two balls past the boundary rope. 11 needed off 2.
Shimron Hetmyer is gone for a well-made 36 off 18. He tried to go for a second run that just wasn't there. And pays the price. Jurel on strike.
12 runs needed off three balls.
One run off the first ball. The batters sneak in two runs off the second.
13 needed off four balls!
Sharjah 2020. Mumbai 2022. Guwahati 2023? These two aren't new to cracking finishes in the IPL. Are we witnessing another one? Can Rajasthan cap off the most unlikeliest, eye-rinsing-required-to-watch-this-through-chases? Shimron Hetmyer was an expected thorn for the death overs. Dhruv Jurel has joined forces as one of Punjab's best, Arshdeep Singh gets pumped for 18 runs in the penultimate over. That drop off the last ball just has a 'you just dropped the game' vibe to it. PHEW, heart palpitations and IPL nights the combo have returned. Final over loading...
This game is not ending without drama! After Jurel scoops Arshdeep's fourth ball for a boundary over the keeper's head, Shimron Hetmyer coems tpo bat for the sixth ball. He mistimes his shot while going for the maximum. Ellis drops it!
16 runs needed off 6 balls!
As if hitting a bowler for a four and a six off consecutive balls in the 19th over was not bad enough, Jurel is now toying with Arshdeep Singh's mind! He waits while the bowler is almost near the crease into his run-up, and pulls out. Arshdeep seems angry.
Arshdeep Singh comes in to bowl the 19th over! First ball is an incredible yorker. Dot ball.
Then, the momentum swings in Royals' favour. Wide, four, six! Jurel has 22 rusn from 10 balls.
Sandip G writes: "The toss-up was between Kagiso Rabada and Nathan Ellis. The South African is one of deadliest all-format bowlers in the world; the Australian is a white-ball specialist with an assortment of variations that eventually earned him the nudge over Rabada. He justified the decision by scything through Rajasthan’s vaunted batting firm, winkling out Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Devdutt Padikkal and Riyan Parag. The last two were foxed by his cross-seam deliveries, of which he is a skilled operator. He starts with his usual grip—the seam running parallel to the fingers, but at the point of release you could spot that the seam is running horizontally across his fingers. The intrigue of the cross-seamer is its unpredictability. Sometimes it skids through, sometimes it stops, sometimes it moves into the right-hander or holds the line. The Padikkal one skidded and shaped a fraction away from him. The Parag ball held a bit and hence he mistimed. Throughout his spell, his cross-seamers confounded Rajasthan’s batsmen, and how he reposed the faith of the team management."
Over no 18, bowled by Sam Curran, has been tonked for 19 runs! Two sixes and a four there, besides singles off every other ball!
And suddenly, from the Rajasthan Royals needing 53 from 18 balls, they now need just 34 from 12. Possible? Maybe!
Jurel sweeps a low, dipping full toss from Ellis to the legside boundary.
Nathan Ellis ends his night with four wickets for 30 runs. Royals need 53 off 18 balls.
Punjab finally use their Impact Player substitution, bringing in Rishi Dhawan in place of Prabhsimran Singh.
A slow and labourious innings from Devdutt Padikkal ends with Nathan Ellis castling him for 21 runs off 26 balls.
Royals are now 124/6, requiring 74 runs in five overs.
The air is sucked out of the Barsapara Cricket Stadium as local boy Riyan Parag tries to go for the maximum, but ends up hitting Ellis' first ball into the hands of Shahrukh Khan. Nathan Ellis' last two balls have gotten Punjab the wickets of Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag, who departs for 20 off 12 balls.
Nah, Riyan Parag woke up this morning and chose history. History for Assam Cricket as one of their own stars in a first IPL match in the state. Takes on Arshdeep Singh this time. A short ball, pierced behind for a four down deep square leg. Rajasthan'll need more than that though. They'll need Devdutt Padikkal to join forces. 121/4 after 14 overs.
While Devdutt Padikkal is batting on 21 off 24 balls, the hopes of the Royals rest on hometown boy Riyan Parag. He was great while fielding and now with the bat he's batting on 20 runs off 11 balls.
They need 77 off six overs. Their best batters are back in the hut.
Jeez! After 21 deliveries, Devdutt Padikkal finally has a boundary. About time as well. His batting partner targets Sikandar Raza as well, lofting him over wide long on for a second maximum in two overs and Guwahati goes berserk. 115/4 after 13 overs. 83 required off 42 deliveries.
Sandip G: There was barely any room to cut. Sanju Samson did not manufacture it either. The length was un-ideal for the shot as well. So was the line. None of these suggested that Samson would cut the ball behind point. But cut he did, the most non-violent cut off a spinner you would ever behold. The shot itself needs elaborate movements, but not for Sanju. Rahul Chahar’s wrong’un landed on good length, just outside the off-stump, and slid into him. Most batsmen would have bunted the ball for a single, or even defended. But Sanju just dropped a touch back, opened up his hands, took the ball from his off-stump or thereabout and cajoled it behind the point fielder to the fence, using his delicate hands and supple wrists to guide the ball through the gaps. Everything about him was still, except those hands, which he twirled clockwise to find the perfect placement, almost Damien Martyn-like in rendition.
Local boy Parag crowd rocking at the Baraspara Cricket Stadium with a heave over mid wicket for six. 100 up for Rajasthan. A much needed boundary. More boundaries needed. 102/4 after 12 overs.
A second wicket for Nathan Ellis and it couldn't have come at a sweeter time. Captain Sanju Samson hands his catch straight to the fielder at long off. Tried to hit against the cross seamer and didn't quite connect with the middle. Rajasthan four down.
New batter in, hometown boy Riyan Parag. Gets greeted with the loudest reception so far. Just two off the over from Ellis. 91/4.
Another economical over for Punjab as Rahul Chahar concedes only eight. The required rate is just above 12 and Rajasthan will need this duo to step up in the chase of 197. That opening stand between Shikhar Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh is looking all the more fruitful now. Having a set batter throughout the innings doesn't hurt that much as well.
The Punjab bowlers have gotten their lengths right so far, not allowing the explosive Sanju Samson to get under the ball. This is why he has managed to hit just the one sixer so far on the night. The boundaries from the bat seem to be drying up.
The required run rate is trickling up to 11 per over now. Just eight runs off the 10th over. Rajasthan Royals are 89/3 after 10 overs.
Sikandar Raza gave away 11 runs in that over. The dew factor is clearly playing a role, with Raza bowling two wides in that over, one of which ended up trickling past the keeper to end up into the boundary.
Rahul Chahar's first over has gone for a miserly seven runs.
Jos Buttler is gone for 19 runs! And what a way to lose your wicket. He tried to drive a ball from Ellis, got an inside edge which hit his pads and ricocheted up in the air. Ellis ran and caught the ball.
Royals are 57/3
You wonder why Sanju Samson was coming in fourth in the line-up! He's in sumblime touch! He's welcomed Nathan Ellis into the attack with two boundaries off his first two balls. The first one, he hoiked over the extra cover fielder. The second, he caressed to the boundary in the deep third man region.
Harpreet Brar, probably brought in to trouble Buttler, has gone for nine runs with Sanju Samson showing the spinner no mercy.
Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar is now under pressure as Sanju Samson hits the second and third ball of his first over for boundaries through the offside.
Spin is introduced in the fifth over!
And now Jos Buttler smacks Arshdeep Singh for a six over wide long off.
14 runs coming off the over.
Rajasthan Royals are 39/2 after 4 overs.
WHAT A SHOT!
Sanju Samson hits the second ball he faces over Arshdeep Singh's head for a maximum. Breathtaking shot that one!
Ashwin's stint as an opener ends after four balls in which he scored zero runs. He top edged a ball from Arshdeep and Shikhar Dhawan made no mistake.
Arshdeep Singh has now scalped both the Royals' openers.
Oh dear! Jos Buttler gifts Punjab a wicket-taking opportunity, but gets a reprieve!
Harpreet Brar does all the hardwork to get to the ball in the deep, but the ball just pops out of his palms.
Buttler dropped on five off the bowling of Sam Curran. And the next ball, Buttler serves a reminder of how costly it is to drop him by smashing a boundary!
Four, wide, dot ball, wide, wicket! Arshdeep Singh scalps the big wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal for just 11 runs. Jaiswal will be kicking himself for throwing away his wicket so cheaply after he looked in sharp touch. Was caught at extra cover by the substitute Short.
Arshdeep Singh has already bowled two wides in two balls.
Arshdeep Singh is into the attack from the other end. And he is welcomed with a first ball boundary by Jaiswal. Cut behind point by the batter.
That six apart, not a lot happened in that over. Ashwin got to face just the one ball, he swung, he missed.
First ball fireworks!
Yashasvi Jaiswal sends a rising delivery from Curran over the leg side boundary rope for a maximum! WOW! That's one way to signal intent!
The last time Ravichandran Ashwin opened the batting was in 2013, when he scored 11 runs off 13 vs KKR.
Rajasthan Royals start their chase of 198 with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravichandran Ashwin in the middle. Sam Curran has the ball!
Sandip G writes: "First, Shikhar Dhawan made a mess of a reverse pull. Rather an attempt at it. Jason Holder, the beanpole Bajan, had pulled short and Dhawan quickly switched to a reverse-ramping mode to exploit the glaring expanse on the off-side. But he was beaten horribly. He, though, did not give up. The next ball was fuller, and Dhawan unfurled a reverse-flick of one leg. Quickly getting into the position, rolling his wrists to turn the face of the bat to the offside. As he had premeditated the shot a bit early, Holder fired the ball wide. It seemed out of reach, but Dhawan stretched on one leg, with immaculate balance, and still managed to get a sizeable chunk of the wood on the ball to clear the deep backward point ropes."
Decent last over from Jason Holder.
Punjab score 197/4 in their 20 overs. Shikhar Dhawan was unbeaten on 86 from 56 balls. Prabhsimran had scored 60 off 34 balls to start the Punjab innings off with a bang.
Shahrukh gone is gone for 11 runs off his 10 balls.
A stunning catch from Buttler who runs in and slides before nabbing it.
A yorker from Holder is dispatched to the boundary by Shahrukh, who shuffles to the offside and connects well!
Dhawan batting on 85 runs off 55. Can he get to his century?
Asif has started his 19th over with a wide, then was hit for a maximum by Dhawan on the first legal ball, his third ball was a no ball, the free hit was deposited to the boundary for a four. Asif ends the over with a dot ball. But that over got the Kings 16 runs.
Punjab are 190/3 after 19 overs. Asif's four overs went for 54 runs.
Shikhar Dhawan shuffles his feet and sends a ball from Asif over deep fine leg for a maximum!
R Ashwin takes the wicket of Raza on the first ball itself, a carromball that completely flummoxed the batter.
Shahrukh Khan is out in the middle to accompany skipper Dhawan!
16.1 overs gone, Punjab are 159 for 3.
Dhruv Jurel is Rajasthan's Impact Player for this game. He comes in place of Yuzvendra Chahal.
Jitesh Sharma out for 27 from 16 balls as Punjab lose their second wicket! He tried to go for a six, but didn't catch the ball well. It flew straight to Riyan Parag.
PBKS are 158/2
He may not be part of India's white ball setup as he not so long ago was, but Shikhar Dhawan has been right up there with Virat Kohli and David Warner as the most consistent of top order batters in the Indian Premier League history. A 50th fifty in the league history proves just about the same. Only Warner (60) has more half centuries than Gabbar, for whom Holi has been almost every time he's taken to the field in this league.
Trent Boult's evening of woes is finally over. His four overs have conceded 38 runs! He was slapped for a maximum by Jitesh Sharma over the extra cover boundary!
After 15 overs, PBKS are 152/1.
Shikhar Dhawan played the anchor's role when Prabhsimran Singh was tonking the ball around. Now, he's coming into his own. He's hit two balls from Chahal to the boundary on the leg side.
50th time in his IPL career that Dhawan has a half century. He is only the 3rd player to do that after David Warner and Virat Kohli.