Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) skipper Sanju Samson won the toss & opted to bowl first against Punjab Kings (PBKS). The visitors brought back the lethal left-arm speedster Trent Boult into the playing 11. Trent Boult was rested against RCB when the side suffered a colossal defeat.
RR were dealt with a huge blow as just before the start of the match, the veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was ruled out of the crucial clash due to a back spasm.
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PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan was quite optimistic during the toss time that the pitch would remain the same and was happy to bat first. PBKS are placed at 8th position on the points table with 12 points from 13 matches and the hosts will have to register a thumping win to make a case for themselves in the playoffs.
RR too are in a precarious position and have 12 points from 13 points but have a better NRR of +0.16 and are placed in 6th position on the points table. RR skipper Sanju Samson would be tested in the absence of Ashwin as the shrewd spinner could have been invaluable in this do-or-die clash.
IPL 2023 | India National Cricket Team | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Delhi Capitals (DC) | Gujarat Titans (GT) | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) | Mumbai Indians (MI) | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) | SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Watch- Trent Boult takes a screamer to get rid of Prabhsimran Singh
Trent Boult was bowling the first over of the match, on the second delivery, Prabhsimran Singh tried to chip the ball over the bowler’s head but couldn’t connect properly, and then Trent Boult took a spectacular catch towards his right side.
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WHAT. A. CATCH ?
Trent Boult grabs a screamer off his own bowling ⚡️⚡️
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RR fans would be pumped up as Prabhsimran Singh recently rediscovered his mojo. PBKS’ score at 0.2 overs was 2-1 and Prabhsimran Singh was dismissed on 2 runs in 2 balls. This is a huge wicket for RR as now Shikhar Dhawan would think twice before playing an attacking brand of cricket. PBKS need to post a score in excess of 180 as the visitors have got a lot of power hitters present in the side.