IPL-17: PBKS vs RR | Avesh, Maharaj lead way as Rajasthan Royals restrict Punjab Kings
The Hindu
Indian Premier League 2024 Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur on April 13, 2024
Rajasthan Royals bowlers under Avesh Khan and Keshav Maharaj exploited a sticky pitch to the hilt to restrict Punjab Kings to an underwhelming 147 for eight in their IPL match in Mullanpur on April 13.
Pacer Avesh (2/34) and left-arm spinner Maharaj (2/23) did not allow any breathing space to Kings’ batters after Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson opted to field first.
Ashutosh Sharma (31, 16b), Jitesh Sharma (29, 24b) and Liam Livingstone (21, 14b) tried to force the pace but Punjab needed more than those pretty little cameos.
But the Kings had a rather quick start to their innings with 26 runs coming in the first three overs as Atharva Taide, who came in for injured skipper Shikhar Dhawan, hammered a couple of fours off pacer Kuldeep Sen.
However, the brakes were soon applied as Taide’s mistimed pull off pacer Avesh Khan ended in the hands of Sen inside the circle.
Thereafter the Punjab batters struggled to muster any sort of momentum on a pitch that gripped a bit, especially for left-arm spinner Maharaj and leg-spinner Chahal.
However, a slice of credit should also go to veteran pacer Trent Boult who conceded just 15 runs in his three power play overs, a stage when the pitch was still fine for batting.