IPL 2023: Kings stand tall in battle till death

CHENNAI, APRIL 6:  When it was announced that the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Barsapara, Guwahati will be hosting a couple of Indian Premier League games as Rajasthan Royals’ home ground, one thing was clear — they were going to be a run-fest.

After all, apart from the venue’s debut international game in 2017, all three of the completed games were high-scoring contests. India chased 320-odd runs in 42.1 overs against West Indies in 2018, scored 373 against Sri Lanka earlier in January, and almost failed to defend 237 against South Africa in a T20I last year.

The clash between the Royals and Punjab Kings on Wednesday was expected to be no different. And that is exactly what happened as Shikhar Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh set the ball rolling from the very first over. While Dhawan held one end to play the anchor role as he has in the past few years, Singh took on the RR bowlers. He launched Trent Boult over mid-off, and smacked KM Asif into the square-leg stands before hitting the right-arm pacer for 19 runs in his second over.

Over the next few overs no RR bowler was spared — Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Jason Holder were all at the receiving end of Singh’s carnage. The 22-year-old was lighting up the stage so much that social media went berserk. The PBKS management, however, was not one to be surprised. For they were the ones to sign him for Rs 4.8 crore in the 2019 auction when he was just 18.

While he did not get a consistent run — Singh played five games over the next three years — they had backed him and picked him again in the 2022 auction. Last year, too, he played just one game with heavy batting at the top. This year, however, Jonny Bairstow’s injury came as a blessing in disguise as Singh was asked to open the batting. The 22-year-old repaid the faith with a swashbuckling 60 off just 34 balls on Wednesday before holing out in the deep off Holder’s bowling.

Once Singh got out, Dhawan kept the momentum going along with Jitesh Sharma. Sharma hit Chahal over extra-cover for back-to-back boundaries before Dhawan sent the leggie over long-on. The 37-year-old employed all the shots there is, scooping Asif, sweeping and reverse sweeping Chahal to all sides of the ground. The only bowler who was able to keep things quiet was Ashwin, who finished with 1/25 in his four overs.

Even as wickets fell at the other end, Dhawan smashed an unbeaten 86 off 56 balls, helping his side get to 197/4. As expected RR came close to chasing down the target before falling short by five runs. However, what remains a fact is that a 37-year-old and a 22-year-old have come together to put on a show for PBKS this season and it seems like there is no stopping them at the moment.

Brief scores:

Punjab Kings 197/4 in 20 ovs (Dhawan 86 n.o, Singh 60; Holder 2/29) bt Rajasthan Royals 192/7 in 20 ovs (Samson 42, Hetmyer 36; Ellis 4/30).

-TNIE