Credit: IPL
On April 12, 2021, Rajasthan Royals (RR) failed to chase down a gigantic total of 222 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 and recorded a four-run defeat. In the game, RR captain Sanju Samson won the toss and elected to field first. Punjab lost Mayank Agarwal early but skipper KL Rahul stitched firm partnerships with Chris Gayle and Deepak Hooda to solidify his team’s position in the game. Hooda hit a rapid 64 off 28 with 10 boundaries (four fours and six maximums). Rahul also scored a spectacular 91 off 50 and took his team to a total of 221/6 in 20 overs.
Following the humongous target, RR lost their openers Ben Stokes and Manan Vohra early. Mohammed Shami got the better of Stokes while Arshdeep Singh outclassed Vohra. After the fall of early wickets, Samson stepped up and built a 45-run partnership with Jos Buttler off just 25 balls. Buttler fell to Jhye Richardson after scoring 25 off 13 but Samson continued his attack while holding the one end. Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag also did fine cameos with their bats and chipped in with their 23 (15) and 25 (11) respectively. Samson went on to notch up his third IPL ton and brought his team to the brink of triumph.
Arshdeep Singh held his nerves and defended 13 runs in the final over of the game
With the task of defending 13 runs in the last over, PBKS skipper handed the ball to Arshdeep. The speedster held his nerves and gave away only two runs in the initial three balls. On the fourth delivery of the over, Sanju showed his plucky attitude and cleared the fence.
On the last two deliveries of the match, the left-handed pacer showcased his mettle and beat experienced Samson. The fifth delivery went for a dot which built pressure on Sanju to go for a huge hit to take his team home. On the final ball, the right-handed batter lofted it over the covers but got caught at the hands of Deepak Hooda. Despite RR's loss, Samson got the player of the match award for his stunning 119 off just 63.
