IPL 2023, RR remain alive; knock PBKS out: Stats
Rajasthan Royals are in the hunt for the playoffs race in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season after defeating Punjab Kings in match number 66 in Dharamsala. RR failed to chase down PBKS's 187-run total in 18.3 overs or fewer to overtake RCB on NRR. Meanwhile, PBKS needed to restrict RR to 60 or below. RR are fifth and need help from others.
How did the match pan out?
PBKS were reduced to 50/4 in 6.3 overs before Jitesh Sharma (44) and Sam Curran added a terrific 64-run stand. PBKS were then down at 114/5 before Curran and Shahrukh Khan ended the innings on a high. In response, RR lost Jos Buttler early on before Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal added 73 runs. PBKS responded with key scalps but RR prevailed.
Navdeep Saini claims 3/40 versus PBKS
Rajasthan Royals pacer Navdeep Saini claimed figures worth 3/40. Saini appeared in just his second match for RR this season. He now has three scalps at 24.67. In IPL 2022, he claimed three wickets from just two games. Overall, the right-arm pacer has claimed 23 scalps from 32 IPL games at 42.35. He managed to take his maiden three-fer in the cash-rich league.
Curran and Shahrukh register the highest sixth-wicket partnership for PBKS
Curran and Shahrukh registered Punjab's highest sixth-wicket stand in IPL history. As per Cricbuzz, the unbeaten 73-run stand between Curran and Shahrukh is now the highest sixth-wicket stand for Punjab, surpassing the previous best tally of an unbeaten 61-run effort by KL Rahul and Harpreet Brar versus RCB in 2021. Curran smashed 49* and raced to 50 IPL fours. Shahrukh managed an unbeaten 41.
Trent Boult accomplishes 50 IPL wickets in powerplay
Veteran Rajasthan Royals pacer Trent Boult (1/35) completed 50 powerplay wickets. The left-arm pacer got to the feat with his first wicket in the contest., dismissing Prabhsimran Singh. He became just the seventh bowler to get this milestone. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (60), Sandeep Sharma (55), Umesh Yadav (53), Zaheer Khan (52), Ishant Sharma (50) and Deepak Chahar (50) are the others on this list.
Unwanted record for Buttler
Buttler scored a four-ball duck versus PBKS. As per Cricbuzz, Buttler became the first batter to register five ducks in an IPL season. Overall, he has six ducks in the IPL.
1,500 IPL runs for Padikkal; Yashasvi shines
Padikkal scored a 30-ball 51 for RR, slamming five fours and three sixes. Padikkal slammed his ninth IPL fifty and has also surpassed the 1,500-run mark (1,521) at 27.65. Yashasvi (50) has raced to 1,172 runs, besides slamming his eighth fifty. He also surpassed 600 runs in IPL 2023 (619). He registered his fourth fifty this season.
