Ajit Karn
Wednesday’s thrilling Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur was won by Lucknow Super Giants by 10 runs courtesy of Avesh Khan’s exploits in the final over.
“At the 10-over mark, Kyle and I communicated that 160 would be a respectable total on this pitch, as their bowlers took advantage of the conditions. We fell shy by 10 but made up for it with the ball. And the absence of moisture made the game fair for both teams. We thought 180 would be a par score when we arrived here yesterday, but after the first over from Boult, Kyle and I realized this is not a 180 wicket. The ball was staying somewhat low, so we extended the powerplay. Perhaps if we had played slightly better, we would have also scored 170. I believe that the run-out of the key player (Mishra) and the consecutive loss of two wickets provides the opposition (his own team) a chance. “We knew that Rajasthan’s strength was their top four, so we had to have a plan to get them out,” Rahul said in the post-match press conference.
Having been placed into bat by RR, LSG scored 154/7 in 20 overs. Kyle Mayers (51 runs off 42 balls with four fours and three sixes) and Rahul (39 runs off 32 balls with four fours and a six) scored 82 runs for the first wicket. Following this, LSG lost several wickets quickly, but a 45-run partnership between Nicholas Pooran (29 in 20 deliveries with two fours and a six) and Marcus Stoinis (21 off 16 balls with one four and one six) enabled LSG to post a modest total.
RR’s best bowler was Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 2/23 in four overs. Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, and Jason Holder each claimed one wicket while bowling economical deliveries.
RR began their pursuit of 155 runs with a solid 87-run partnership at the first wicket. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (44 in 35 deliveries with four boundaries and two sixes) and Jos Buttler (40 off 41 balls with four boundaries and two sixes) did not play the aggressive cricket they are known for, but nonetheless established a solid base.
However, the run-out of captain Sanju Samson (2) gave LSG the opportunity to make a comeback by taking fast wickets. Even the closer, Shimron Hetmyer (2), was unsuccessful with the bat. Devdutt Padikkal (26 in 21 balls with four fours) and Riyan Parag (15*) attempted to win it for their team but fell short by 10 runs, concluding at 144/6 in 20 overs.
Avesh Khan was the best bowler for LSG, returning with a spell of 3/25 off four overs. Stoinis took 2 for 28 during his three overs.
Stoinis was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his all-around performance.
Despite this defeat, RR maintains the top position in the standings, having won four matches and lost two. They have eight points in total. Despite having the same win-loss record and point total as RR, LSG is second in the standings due to their inferior net run rate.
Also read this:PBKS vs RCB IPL 2023: Playing 11,Pitch Report,Match Prediction
Rajasthan Royals 144/6 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 44, Jos Buttler 40, and Avesh Khan 3/25) vs. Lucknow Super Giants; Lucknow Super Giants 154/7 (Kyle Mayers 51, KL Rahul 39, and Ravicharan Ashwin 2/23) vs. Rajasthan Royals.
