In the 40th game of IPL 2018, hosts Rajasthan Royals (RR) clinched an important 15-run victory against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium (Jaipur) on Tuesday night. RR put a total of 158/8 in 20 overs which KXIP failed to chase as they were restricted for 143/7 at the end of overs.
RR captain Ajinkya Rahane decided to bat first after winning the toss. While RR opener Jos Buttler provided a flying start, other top-order batsmen failed to help him. Another opener skipper Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed for just 9 runs while no.3 batsman Krishnappa Gowtham managed to score only 8 runs.
No.4 batsman Sanju Samson provided an important 53-run partnership with the opener Buttler for the third wicket. Buttler completed his half-century in just 27 balls and stretched his innings for further while Samson fell on 22 runs.
Buttler was finally stumped out in 17th over after scoring 82 runs off 58 balls with 9 fours and only six. None of the other RR batsmen crossed the 20-run mark as their innings ended on 158/8 at the end of 20 overs.
KXIP pacer Andrew Tye was the best bowler in that innings who picked up 4 wickets and had the bowling figure of 4-0-34-4. Also, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/21) took two wickets and Marcus Stoinis (1/15) picked up one wicket each.
In reply, none of KXIP batsmen played the responsible innings except opener KL Rahul. The opening batsman was not out till the end as he scored 95 runs off 70 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes.
No.8 batsman Marcus Stoinis was the only other KXIP batsman to reach the double-digit mark as he scored 11 runs off 16 balls. There was no solid partnership in that innings except the seventh wicket where Rahul and Stoinis provided a 46-run partnership. However, it was too late for the team as the victory was looking almost impossible at the end stage. KXIP innings ended on 143/7 at the end of 20 overs.
Among the RR bowlers, Krishnappa Gowtham got two wickets while Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Ben Stokes and Ish Sodhi picked up one wicket each.
Here are some Twitter reations:
Fabulous half century by Rahul, but looks to be in a losing cause unless…
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) May 8, 2018
KL Rahul:
Same opponent
Same situation
Same sensible innings— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) May 8, 2018
KL Rahul today…fighting like lone warrior….#RRvKXIP pic.twitter.com/FBNu2RDVaC
— Boring… (@graphicalcomic) May 8, 2018
Missed him for RCB but @imVkohli will know @klrahul11 has to open for India in all three formats of the game. No brainer.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) May 8, 2018
Rajasthan Royals Beat KL Rahul By 63 Runs. It Was One Man Vs Entire Team. Truly Deserved A Win And A Century. You Gotta Feel For Him. #RRvKXIP #RRvsKXIP
— Sir Jadeja fan (@SirJadeja) May 8, 2018
How it took @rajasthanroyals so long to realise @josbuttler had to open I will never know …. #OnOn #IPL2018
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) May 8, 2018
Rajasthan Royals will be ruing they haven't used Butler as opener from the start of the season. Inexplicable to be honest
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) May 8, 2018
Ashwin is like that guy from gully cricket who owns the bat – he bats up the order and also bowls maximum overs. #RRvKXIP
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) May 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/pun_star69/status/993882137047650304
This was the first time that Ashwin batted at No.3 in T20 cricket. He has now batted at all the positions in T20 cricket.#RRvKXIP
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) May 8, 2018
Would you have believed it if you were told 3 years ago that two of the biggest bowling stars of the #IPL would be from Afghanistan! #RashidKhan #MujeeburRahman
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 8, 2018
Andrew Tye has picked up the Indian ‘ok’ head shake #ipl pic.twitter.com/g6j6rm5ytN
— simon hughes (@theanalyst) May 8, 2018
#IPL2018
English Commentator- That's a superb Reverse Sweep.Hindi Commentator(A.C.)- घी अगर सीधी ऊँगली से ना निकले , तो ऊँगली टेढ़ी करनी पड़ती है । 🤐😬😈#RRvKXIP #VIVOIPL #IPL2018
— Subodh Agarwal🏏 (@SubodhAgarwal1) May 8, 2018
Time to think about reducing the quantum of loss for #KXIP
That stage of the tournament where you don’t want the NRR to take a serious beating… #RRvKXIP #IPL— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 8, 2018
