In the heart of Mullanpur, the PCA New Stadium witnessed a thrilling encounter between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals (PBKS vs RR) on the 13th of April, 2024. It was the 27th match of the season, and the Royals, after winning the toss, chose to field first, setting the stage for an intense battle.
Let check out PBKS vs RR head to head in the IPL.
Venue: PCA New Stadium
26 matches played between the PBKS vs RR at PCA New Stadium, Mullanpur. Punjab Kings has won 11 matches while Rajasthan Royals has won 15 matches.
Toss Moment
Rajasthan Royals has won the toss and have elected to Field first.
“We’ll field first, it looks like a decent wicket to bowl first. We’ve made a target to not think about the goal, focus on the process, work on building the team and we’re doing a good job. A lot of challenges outside as well, we’ve many players missing from tonight’s match. Jos Buttler isn’t 100%, Ashwin bhai is having a niggle, so Rovman and Kotian come into the eleven.”
Sanju Samson, RR Skipper
“Shikhar picked up a niggle, that’s why I’m here. We would have fielded first as well, but we’ll now have to put the runs on the board. The balance has been good, we’d have liked to win a few more matches, but the middle-order looks good, especially Shashank and Ashutosh. We’ve got exciting players and plenty of quality. We’ve Taide coming in for Shikhar tonight.”
Sam Curran, PBKS Skipper
First Innings
PBKS Batting
The first innings saw PBKS put up a fighting total. Ashutosh Sharma led the charge with a quickfire 31 off 16 balls, including one four and three sixes.
Jitesh Sharma supported well with a steady 29 off 24 balls.
Liam Livingstone and Atharva Taide chipped in with 21 and 15 runs, respectively, while Jonny Bairstow added 15 runs to the tally.
RR Bowling
The RR bowlers kept a tight leash on the scoring. Keshav Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers with 2/23, including the crucial wickets of Bairstow and Sam Curran.
Avesh Khan also bagged two wickets, while Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Kuldeep Sen took one each, restricting PBKS to 147/8 in their 20 overs.
Second Innings
RR Batting
Chasing 148, RR’s batting lineup rose to the occasion. Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored with 39 runs off 28 balls, and Tanush Kotian contributed a valuable 24.
Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer provided the finishing touches, with Hetmyer’s explosive 27 off just 10 balls sealing the deal for the Royals.
PBKS Bowling
PBKS bowlers, led by Kagiso Rabada and Sam Curran, who both took two wickets, tried to defend their total but fell short as RR reached 152/7 in 19.5 overs.
Man of the Match
The victory for RR was carved out by a collective team effort, but it was Shimron Hetmyer’s blistering innings that stood out, earning him the Man of the Match award.
His quick runs in the dying overs turned the tide in favor of the Royals, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure.
“It’s just practice, I try as much as possible in the nets. I try my best to hit maximums. I am happy that I helped my team today. There was creeping in the first couple of balls, afterwards, I tried to keep it as clear as possible and it paid off.”
Shimron Hetmyer, RR
In conclusion, the match between PBKS and RR was a display of cricket at its finest, with both teams showing great skill and determination.
Rajasthan Royals’ triumph by 3 wickets was a testament to their resilience and strategic prowess, making it a match to remember for the fans and a significant win in their campaign.