IPL 2023: Punjab Won By Five Runs; Four Wickets Of Ellis Made Punjab Win

Guwahati, 5th April 2023: Punjab Kings (PBKS) won the match by five runs after breaking a tough fight from Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the last over. Along with this victory, Punjab took a big jump in the points table. The first IPL match at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium was well attended.

Rajasthan’s batsmen played a valiant game while chasing the challenge of 198 runs set by Punjab. Captain Sanju Samson scored 42 runs. While young Dhruv Jurel fought till the end by scoring 32 runs in 15 balls. Nathan Ellis took four wickets and Arshdeep Singh took two wickets for Punjab.

Punjab Kings piled up runs on the strength of Shikhar Dhawan and Prabhasimran Singh’s explosive innings. Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel fought till the last ball for Rajasthan Royals. Arshdeep Singh bowled smartly against RR and then Nathan Ellis sent Sanju Samson’s team into disarray.

Jos Buttler was expected to open, but he got injured and RR surprised everyone by sending in R Ashwin along with Yashasvi Jaiswal to open. Arshdeep Singh gave Rajasthan a shock. He dismissed Yashasvi (11) and Ashwin (0). Nathan Ellis then dismissed Buttler (19). The ball hit Buttler’s bat and hit the pad and flew into the air. Ellis took a smart catch.

Skipper Sanju Samson and Devdutt Padikkal stopped RR’s collapse with restrained performances. But, Ellis broke the pair and Sanju, who hit five fours and one six off 25 balls, was caught for 45 runs.

Riyan Parag hit two back-to-back sixes to excite the crowd, but Riyan, who scored 20 off 12 balls, was dismissed by Ellis of PBKS. Ellis had dismissed RR skipper Sanju Sammon on the last ball of the 11th over and then took the wicket of Riyan on the first ball of the next over. He had a chance for a hat trick, but Shimron Hetmyer didn’t let it happen. But, on the last ball, he took the wicket of Devdutt (21).

RR needed 74 off 30 balls. Shimron Hetmyer struck late and by then the match was slipping out of RR’s hands. Ellis took four wickets for 30 runs. Hetmyer made the match a tight one with 34 runs off 12 balls while hitting hard. Dhruv Jurel pulled the trigger from the other side.

Hetmyer and Jurel put on a half-century partnership for the seventh wicket. In Arshdeep’s 19th over, Jurel hit 4, 6, and 4 runs and caught Hetmyer on the last ball. 18 runs came in the 19th over and Rajasthan needed 16 runs from six balls. After getting three runs off the first two balls, Hetmyer was run out trying to get two runs off the third ball. Hetmyer scored 36 off 18 balls.

RR needed 12 runs from three balls and all was on Jurel. Two balls 11 runs, Jason Holder was on strike and Holder took one run. In the end, Rajasthan reached 192 for seven and Punjab won the match by five runs. Jurel remained unbeaten on 32 off 15 balls

Earlier, Prabhsimran Singh played an aggressive knock and then skipper Shikhar Dhawan also played a stormy knock. Prabhasimran scored 60 off 34 balls with seven fours and three sixes and added 91 runs for the first wicket with Dhawan. Bhanuka Rajapaksa had to retire Hurt. Dhawan was well supported by Jitesh Sharma (27) and the duo added 60 runs in 33 balls. Dhawan scored an unbeaten 86 off 56 balls with nine fours and three sixes. Punjab scored 197 with a loss of four wickets.