Match number 4 between Punjab and Rajasthan, in IPL 2021, witnessed a last-ball thriller as Punjab Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by 4 runs. Sanju Samson scored his third century and his first as a captain in the IPL, with a whopping 119 runs off just 63 balls. But his efforts were not enough as they failed to reach the target of 221 runs, which was posted by KL Rahul’s Punjab Kings.
Punjab Kings scored a massive target of 221 by the loss of six wickets in their 20 overs. KL Rahul led his side from the front, scoring 91 runs off 50 balls. While KL Rahul kept the runs flowing from one side, his teammates ensured that they set a mammoth target. Chris Gayle laid the foundation with his big hits, scoring a quick 40 off 28 balls, while the captain was joined later on the crease by Deepak Hooda, who scored 64 off 28 balls with his effort of four 4’s and six 6’s.
Sanju Samson, who was leading his side for the first time, played a captain’s knock, but was unable to take his side home, as he was dismissed on the very last delivery of the match in order to score a boundary. Rajasthan required five runs to win on the last ball of the match, but fell short of 4 runs as the captain was dismissed off a solid score of 119 runs. Apart from Sanju Samson, the other batsmen were unable to score much or provide a decent partnership, as wickets fell on a regular interval.
Chetan Sakariya was playing the first match of his IPL career and was the star bowler for Rajasthan Royals as he conceded 31 runs and took three wickets. Chris Morris and Riyan Parag were also in the wickets list, as Parag took 1 wicket and Morris grabbed a couple. Arshdeep Singh bowled brilliantly and provided the team with 3 wickets and conceded 35 runs in his four-over quota. Mohammed Shami, who returned from his injury after the India-Australia series, took 3 wickets and kept the rivals team runs in check.
Rajasthan Royals will be playing their next match against Rishabh Pant’s Delhi Capitals on April 15. Their team director, Kumar Sangakkara feels very confident about his team’s attitude, and feels that they can improve further, going in into the tournament.
