PBKS vs RR, IPL 2024: Rajasthan Royals Brave Accurate Punjab Kings Bowlers, Slow Pitch To Register Three-Wicket Win

Rajasthan Royals struggled against Punjab Kings bowlers who took the pace off the ball cleverly on a sticky pitch but found enough steam to eke out a hardworking three-wicket win in their IPL 2024 match at Mullanpur on Saturday. The target was a rather easy-looking 148 but a set of spot-on Punjab bowlers and a tacky surface made the task of Royals tough before they made 152 for seven. The Rajasthan outfit required 49 runs off the last five overs, but they had to wait till the penultimate ball of the match to get over the line despite having power-hitters like Rovman Powell (11, 5b) and Shimron Hetmyer (27 not out, 10b, 1x4, 3x6) in their ranks.

That equation came down to 10 off the final six balls after Hetmyer moussed Harshal Patel for a six and four, which the West Indian left-hander realised through a couple of sixes off pacer Arshdeep Singh in the last over.

The Royals began their chase sedately through Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tanush Kotian without any real scoreboard pressure behind them.

However, Kotian, who was batting so up in the order in T20s for the first time, did not find his flow but still assisted Jaiswal to add 56 in 8.2 overs.

But his effort to hammer Liam Livingstone out of the ground ended up in him losing his leg-stump.

Jaiswal, who played a delectable flick off Kagiso Rabada, looked on course to end a string of low scores in this IPL.

But a rather needless uppercut off Rabada was grabbed by Harshal Patel near third man as Rajasthan looked a tad wobbly.

Their woes deepened when skipper Sanju Samson, who had earlier broken the manacles with a six and four off Livingstone, was trapped leg-before by Rabada in his last over.

Samson could not connect with a slightly low, incoming delivery from Rabada, and the