The flamboyant Rajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder Ben Stokes pulled-off a brilliant diving catch off the bowling of Jofra Archer which sent back the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) opener Mandeep Singh to the pavilion on a golden duck. Archer bowled a terrific bouncer which left Mandeep completely surprised and he lost his shape, only managing a top edge.
While Mandeep was completely clueless about the delivery and where it went after taking the edge, an attentive Ben Stokes charged in from the backward point position and dived at full length to grab a screamer with both hands, when the ball was just inches above the ground.
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Indian Premier League’s (IPL) official Twitter handle shared the video with the caption: “WATCH – Jofra’s snorter, Stokes’ scorcher. What a combination to get the first wicket. Beauty of a ball from @JofraArcher and a superb catch from @benstokes38”.
WATCH – Jofra's snorter, Stokes' scorcher
What a combination to get the first wicket. Beauty of a ball from @JofraArcher and a superb catch from @benstokes38.https://t.co/dQpbDVErjL #Dream11IPL #KXIPvRR
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) October 30, 2020
Here is the video of the catch:
After Mandeep’s departure, KXIP skipper KL Rahul and ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle made a strong partnership in the middle and played some attractive shots. The duo added as many as 120 runs for the second wicket before the dismissal of Rahul in the 15th over. He also completed 600 runs this year in the process, consolidating his position on top of the leading run-scorers’ list.
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Stokes came into the game on the back of a match-winning century against defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI), that helped his team chase down a huge total of 196 runs and keep their playoff hopes alive. With the century, Stokes repaid the faith showed in him by the team management after a series of poor performances.
Earlier in the game, RR skipper, Steve Smith won the toss asked KXIP to bat first. While Punjab made no changes in their winning XI, for RR, Varun Aaron came back in the squad to replace Ankit Rajpoot.
