one-handed slash over extra cover and Agarwal won't give this one up either, rushing to his left, diving, putting in everything even though these runs don't matter. Kings XI win!
That's a wrap here. Thanks for your company tonight. See ya again tomorrow.
R Ashwin is indeed the Man of the Match, only his second such award through 11 years of the IPL! "Very important for us ot get into the 10 point category. The race is heating up. Everyone is on eight points. It's important to catch the momentum right now. Its incredibly tough to defend here. You get some sheen on the outfield nad the pitch in the night with the dew. But I thought we bowled really well, with Arshdeep executing his plans perfectly against Buttler. Mujeeb too. Arshdeep gets shape, swings the ball both ways. In Mohali, it doesn't do much, but we are hoping for him to do more elsewhere. You've seen how swing helps with Chahar in CSK. It's a process. A spinner is someone who reinvents the wheel all the time. For me it's about hitting various lengths at different speeds. The undercutter, the reverse carrom. I live by the sword and die by it, plenty of people say I try too much, but it's good that I'm keeping on experimenting. Most of our changes were forced. Moises was supposed to play but he injured his ankle before the toss, Miller came in and did well. [Injury updates] We're waiting on Mujeeb [who hurt his left shoulder while fielding]. Moises seems to be okay, not much swelling at all."
Nandakiran: "My Man of the match would be R Ashwin. Little cameo (helped take 18 runs off the last over) with the batting and tight spell, choking RR with two wickets."
11.40 pm There'll be plenty of questions asked about Royals' batting order tonight. They were ahead of the game when Sanju Samson and Rahul Tripathi were in the middle. Then Kings XI's spinners used the slowness of the pitch to pull things back and when that partnership was broke, Ajinkya Rahane walked out. Ashton Turner was there. Shreyas Gopal was there. Stuart Binny was there. All of them were far more suited to play the big hitter's role. So 85 off 48 suddenly became 50 off 18 and well...
"I think, 182 on that wicket was chaseable. We started really well. It was just a matter of two sixes. Stuart was brilliant. In a game like this, you can't criticise too much. Our last over was crucial," Rahane says. "in a chase like this, you cannot lose too many wickets in clumps. There was a lot of runs. Discussion was to take it deep. Tripathi was struggling in the middle is opening. I can come in the middle order and take the game with the set batsman. Just that the guys will have to learn from their mistakes. We know batting side will come hard after 15 overs. Our bowlers did really well, the two legspinners and Jofra's four overs too"
M Ashwin (who along with R Ashwin conceded only 48 runs in eight overs while picking up three big wickets): We just wanted to bowl well in tandem, the spinners and I think we did a very good job. We wanted to use the longer boundary and we wanted to make them hit there. It was coming onto the bat well. There wasn't much dew though. We've played a few matches here, we know the strategies to use. Fortunately, I've played a lot of cricket wit Ashhwin and he's been helping me a lot. We were really disappointed we weren't able to defend the last game. Good to be back in winning ways
Ajay: "It's clearly a slip from Rahane, if he could have allowed Binny to bat those extra few balls he would have scored those deficit runs. Not sure why Rahane still eats up the spot in RR line up."
slower ball, which Binny lashes to the left of long-off, and Agarwal saves it with a proper sprint and well timed dive. Kings XI bossing this
nails the yorker just outside leg stump, which is only because he is following a batsman making room for himself. Binny drills it to long-on and huffs and puffs for a couple
Zaheer : "Yup, Binny is rubbing salt on RR team management's wounds. Should have sent him up the order and played him in more games "
thumps it down the ground as Shami just misses the yorker length. Binny's plan of staying deep in his crease is working quite nicely. But there's just too many runs to get
nice yorker, tailing into leg stump with a mean streak. Binny though is just about able to squeeze it to point
superb stuff! Shami spears a fuller delivery at 140 kph int leg stump. Gopal makes room to launch it over the off side, but it's a mis-hit and it's an easy catch at long-off
Chandan: "Rahane should do what Gambhir did last year... Step down as captain and give someone else a chance in his place...He certainly doesn't deserve to be in side with that kind of form"
Royals need 23 off six balls. Shami will bowl it. He'll have to deal with two fairly big hitters
hammers it down the ground. Binnsta! You gangsta! He fools Arshdeep with his back leg going down leg. He makes him bowl outside off. And he's waiting with the perfect shot
full and wide outside off, Binny looks for the slap over cover but misses it altogether
into the crowd again! Binny finds the leg side boundary by being a lot more still in the crease; a lot more calm. Some of that is due to his batting so deep in the crease, waiting for the slightest mistake. And here he gets the room to swing his arms as much as he wants and swing he does over midwicket
more offcutters and this one is taken by short third man running nearly all the way to the boundary! Brilliant stuff from Arshdeep to trust his slower balls. To line them up well outside off, meaning Rahane's helpless flail into the leg side, takes a clean top edge. And even better catching from Shami, his eyes always on the ball.
steps out of his crease to smear a wide delivery outside off to deep cover. This is good stuff from Arshdeep, not giving up the easy leg-side boundary that batsman crave in this stage of the innings
takes all the pace off the ball and places it well outside off. Rahane, walking across to sweep it, can only cue-end it back down the pitch
Lakshman Kumar: "For God's sake it's Indian Premier League..! Trust your Indian hitters like Gopal and Binny atleast here..!! Don't kill the talent with lack of opportunity..!! " ---- Here's another promising talent. Arshdeep bowling the 19th!
Royals need 37 off 12 now
Zaheer : "The more you expect, the more they disappoint "
full toss following Rahane's movement outside leg. He can only slice it to point
Rahane leaps outside off, prepared to scoop again, but this time Shami doesn't release the ball. OOoooh, this is fun. #ThankYouBinny
goes full now and Binny drills it to deep midwicket
scoops it outta here! He gets inside the line of a short ball angled into him and with that angle he just helps the ball away. Sensible, sensational batting
Hemanth Subrama: "Isn't this the same ground where Turner turned tables on India? Where was M Ashwin then? ;-)"
launches the short ball outside off to the square leg boundary, bisecting the two men in the deep. That's brilliant hitting
backs away and pulls the short ball on leg stump to deep square leg
taken at long-on! Archer biffs a short ball outside off with great power, but these are long boundaries and that's a top fielder. KL Rahul comes in off the boundary and takes it ever so confidently. Royals need 50 off 17 now
vishu: "Welcome to the port Royal Mr. turner!!! :D" --- A POTC fan!
punches the flatter delivery outside off through the covers
the pitch is too slow. New batsmen can't come in and go bang bang. Not even Archer, who goes for a big hit and ends up chopping it back to the bowler
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
2W | ||||
Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh | |
Toss | Rajasthan Royals, elected to field first |
Series | |
Season | 2019 |
Player Of The Match | |
Hours of play (local time) | 20.00 start, First Session 20.00-21.30, Interval 21.30-21.50, Second Session 21.50- 23.20 |
Match days | 16 April 2019 - night (20-over match) |
T20 debut | Arshdeep Singh |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee | |
Points | Kings XI Punjab 2, Rajasthan Royals 0 |
Over 20 • RR 170/7