KL Rahul's valiant fifty went in vain as Lucknow Super Giants succumbed to a 20-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in Match 4 of the Indian Premier League 2024 at Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Well begin, brilliant finish for RR
Chasing a stiff target of 194, LSG were off to a disastrous start, losing their first three wickets for just 11 runs but Deepak Hooda (26 off 13), KL Rahul (58 off 44 balls) and an explosive knock of 64 off 41 balls by West Indian power hitter Nicholas Pooran kept LSG in the hunt.
RR skipper outsmarted the rivals with his smart moves. The decision to retain pacer Sandeep Sharma for the last five overs paid off. Sharma ended the dangerous-looking partnership by dismissing Rahul in the 17th over but the threat was not over until Pooran stayed at the crease.
Ravichandran Ashwin showed his experience to bowl a superb 18th over, dismissing Marcus Stoinis and conceding just seven runs. Sharma followed suit and bowled another brilliant over (4 runs) to swing the match in RR's favour.
With 27 runs needed off the last over, only a miracle could have saved LSG. But, Avesh Khan kept Pooran quiet and conceded just 7 runs to spark celebrations in the Royals dugout as Super Giants finished on 173/6 in the stipulated 20 overs.
Rahul-Pooran kept fight alive, but...
After Deepak Hooda knock provided much-needed momentum to rebuild the innings from 3 for 11, Rahul and Pooran added 85 runs off 52 balls for the fifth wicket to send jitters in the Royals dugout.
Rahul's 44-ball stay at the crease was a sign of his return to full fitness and his 58-run knock showed that there was no rust on him after being out injured for close to two months.
Boult strikes in the first over, yet again
Trent Boult has developed a knack for providing good starts with the ball over the years. The Kiwi pacer dealt a major blow to LSG's chance by dismissing danger man Quinton de Kock in the fifth ball of the innings. For the 24th time in his IPL career, Boult picked up a wicket in his first over.
Boult struck again by removing Devdutt Padikkal, his former teammate, in his second over to give the Royals a perfect start. Pooran, though, ruined his figures by smashing 20 runs including two sixes and a four in his final over to keep LSG in the hunt.
Captain’s knock by Sanju Samson
Earlier, a 93-run stand for the third wicket between Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag powered RR to a strong total of 193/4 in 20 overs after the home side elected to bat first on a slow and low track.
For the fifth successive year, Sanju Samson opened his IPL campaign with a half-century. Samson's scores in Rajasthan Royals' first match since the 2020 edition read: 74 (32) vs CSK in 2020, 119 (63) vs PBKS in 2021, 55 (27) vs SRH in 2022, 55 (32) vs SRH in 2023 and 82* (52) vs LSG in the 2024 edition.
Coming to the crease after the dismissal of Jos Buttler (11) in the second over, Samson carried his bat, smashing an unbeaten 82 in 52 balls as Rajasthan Royals recorded a strong total of 193/4 after deciding to bat first.
Samson's superb knock was studded with three fours and six sixes. Slow to get off the blocks after Buttler's wicket, Samson was aided by Yashavi Jaiswal's quickfire cameo in the powerplay.
Riyan Parag able ally for Samson
Following Jaiswal's untimely dismissal, Samson found an able partner in Riyan Parag (44 off 29 balls). The duo mixed caution with aggression to stitch a crucial 93-run stand for the third wicket.
Fresh from making his international debut in the Test series against England, Dhruv Jurel showed his attacking prowess with a 12-ball 20 as RR finished with a late flourish.
LSG's bowling woes
The absence of English pace bowling duo Mark Wood and David Willey, who pulled out of the tournament just before the season kicked off, was always going to hurt the Super Giants. But the fact that the LSG pacers conceded a combined 129 runs in 11 overs on a slow, uneven track shows the magnitude of the problem.
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