Arshdeep Singh bowls the last over as RR need 10 runs to win the game.
Arshdeep starts with two dot balls but Shimron Hetmyer smashes two sixes on the third and fifth delivery to lead Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling win.
PBKS - 147/8 in 20 overs.
RR - 152/7 in 19.5 overs.
Rovman Powell after hitting a couple of boundaries has been dismissed by PBKS' skipper Sam Curran. Royals are in control but Kings will be hoping for one more wicket.
Rajasthan Royals' West Indian duo of Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell have broken the game open with 18 runs in four balls. Hetmyer hit a four and a six off Harshal Patel's last two deliveries while Powell hit a couple of boundaries to start the 19th over bowled by Sam Curran.
Harshal Patel has ended Dhruv Jurel's struggle and Punjab Kings continue to hang around like a bad smell as Rajasthan Royals have lost have their side. The required run rate has gone above 11.
Arshdeep Singh after going for a six, came back well to send back in-form Riyan Parag and Rajasthan Royals have lost their fourth wicket. Can Punjab Kings script a miracle?
Another big breakthrough for Punjab as he removes Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson on a lbw dismissal and finishes his spells with brilliant 2/18 figures.
RR - 90/3 in 14 overs. Dhruv Jurel joins Riyan Parag in the middle.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been dismissed by Kagiso Rabada in probably an interesting moment of the game as even though the Rajasthan Royals are still ahead of the game, they haven't run away with the game and one more wicket could make things interesting.
Liam Livingstone helps Punjab Kings get their first breakthrough as Tanush Kotian's struggle ends. Kotian, a bowling all-rounder was sent to open the innings and struggled to get going as apart from an odd boundary, he just couldn't get going.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has gotten through the powerplay for the Rajasthan Royals without any discomfort, however, Tanush Kotian, who was sent to open the innings is struggling and apart from a couple of boundaries has failed to get going.
Tanush Kotian has been given the opportunity to open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal on his IPL debut. Kotian who came into the side replacing R Ashwin, wasn't given a single over but has come out to bat at the top of the innings.
Ashutosh Sharma's 31 off 16 has helped the Punjab Kings make a little recovery to get to 147 and despite all of it, the total looks a little below-par. Ashutosh got out on the final ball of the innings as Trent Boult got his first wicket of the game having bowled a brilliant last over.
Sanju Samson has affected an outstanding run out to send back Liam Livingstone. The throw was wide from Samson and he had to deflect the ball towards the stumps. However, Livingstone had run halfway and was too late in returning to the crease.
Avesh Khan has struck for the second time in the game as Jitesh Sharma was rushed on a short of a length delivery by the RR pacer and handed a catch straight to the mid-off fielder.
Punjab Kings have lost half of their side now and have received a big blow in the form of losing Shashank Singh's wicket. Kuldeep Sen rushed Shashank with his pace on a short delivery and the batter could get it only as far as the deep square leg fielder.
Keshav Maharaj has struck twice as he has gotten Punjab Kings' stand-in captain Sam Curran, who tried to hit his way out of trouble and the home team is in real trouble now.
Jonny Bairstow's horrible run of form continued as Sanju Samson used the match-up of left-arm spin of Keshav Maharaj and got instant result. Even though he brought Maharaj late, but Bairstow half-heartedly played a shot towards the covers and ended up handing it straight to the fielder. Maharaj gets on board in the IPL.
Prabhsimran Singh's struggle has ended as he tried to throw the kitchen sink against Yuzvendra Chahal and was dismissed by the RR leggie, who now has 198 wickets to his name. Punjab are in trouble.
Avesh Khan has struck for the Rajasthan Royals by dismissing Atharva Taide as the top-edge has been caught by Kuldeep Sen at short-third while skipper Sanju Samson also went for the catch. There could have been a possible collision but both of them evaded it and thankfully for RR, no mishap and Punjab have lost their first wicket.
The new opening pair for Punjab Kings has given a good start as they have both played to the merit of the ball and have allowed the ball to come and have threaded the gaps. Atharva Tiade got a couple of boundaries off Kuldeep Sen while Jonny Bairstow has looked good so far.
RR: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Shubham Dubey, Navdeep Saini, Abid Mushtaq
PBKS: Rahul Chahar, Ashutosh Sharma, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Nathan Ellis
Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Tanush Kotian, Keshav Maharaj, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Yuzvendra Chahal
Punjab Kings: Jonny Bairstow, Atharva Taide, Prabhsimran Singh, Sam Curran(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada
Rajasthan Royals will be missing both Jos Buttler and R Ashwin with respective injuries and hence have handed caps to Tanush Kotian and Rovamn Powell, who will be playing for the Men in Pink for the first time.
Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to field saying that it looked a good wicket and he backed his side to chase the total down.
Sam Curran has walked out to lead Punjab as he mentioned that the regular captain Shikhar Dhawan has a niggle and Vidarbha batter Atharva Taide has come into the XI.
In the last game too we saw that 180-plus was defended rather comfortably by the Sunrisers Hyderabad apart from the chaos in the last over. It is going to be similar on Saturday as well. Pitch number four will be used for the clash with 64 and 67-metre square boundaries and 75m straight. Seamers will continue to enjoy on this surface as they will get the movement and the bounce.
Rajasthan Royals suffered their first loss of the 2024 edition of the IPL. The Royals don't need to change much as they have been doing really well apart from an over here or there at the death. Kuldeep Sen played the last game and even though he took three wickets in the middle overs and was the difference, however, his 20-run over at the death shifted the game in Gujarat Titans' favour.
Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh need to score, as simple as that. Since the game against the Lucknow Super Giants, both Dhawan and Bairstow haven't been able to do the job and their whole batting line-up has depended on the duo of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma to get them over the line. They did in one game but in the other against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, they had too much to do.
It has been a very underrated rivalry in the IPL but has produced some of the most iconic games. Whether it was the Super Over in 2015 or the raging debate-starter Buttler-Ashwin game in 2019 or the Rahul Tewatia special in 2020 in Sharjah. The players and squads may be quite different but there has always been anticipation around this clash and 2024 is no different given both teams have quality players and both are coming from respective losses. Can they change it on Saturday?
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