Rajasthan Royals 178 for 6 (Jaiswal 41, Padikkal 39, Bishnoi 2-31) beat Lucknow Super Giants 154 for 8 (Hooda 59, Boult 2-18, Prasidh 2-32, McCoy 2-35) by 24 runs
Rajasthan Royals are happy to have four No. 11s in their line-up. And this is why. Each of them – led by Trent Boult – produced a match-winning contribution and this one will taste ever so sweet because they have taken a massive step towards the IPL playoffs. They knocked the stuffing out of Lucknow Super Giants, who in all likelihood will be one of the teams they will meet in those knockout matches later this month. So this win – defending 178 – isn’t just that, it’s something to carry forward.
A young batter with a power game is one of the most exciting things in cricket. Yashasvi Jaiswal (41 off 29) certainly lived up to that billing tonight.
At one point, he was beaten by Avesh Khan, the ball storming past his outside edge as if it was offended that he had even tried to hit it. In the next over, as if deciding enough was enough, Jaiswal made the darn thing disappear.
That six into the crowd behind square leg in a Dushmantha Chameera over that cost 21 runs, combined with Sanju Samson’s takedown of Ravi Bishnoi in the eighth over, threatened something special.
It’s good to have options
This game was all about punch and counterpunch.
The first part of that equation is a given. Batting teams in T20 cricket seldom hold back. But for a bowling team to respond, it takes either a lot of effort, or a lot of options.
Super Giants had a LOT of options.
Five balls after Samson pwned Bishnoi, he fell to Jason Holder.
One ball after that run-spree, Ayush Badoni dismissed Jaiswal.
Lightning Boult
A Brabourne pitch that offered movement + Boult = Magic.
The Royals new-ball phenom took two wickets in the third over – Quinton de Kock caught off a long hop and Badoni lbw with mesmerising inswing.
Prasidh Krishna took out KL Rahul from the other end – cramping the batter for room as he tried to play the cut – and that virtually was the game, with Super Giants 29 for 3.
Super Giants have relied heavily on their captain this season. More than 30% of their runs (421) in winning causes have come off his blade. But here, he was gone with 14.3 overs still to play.
Chahal vs Hooda
Super Giants were on the mat. They made just 34 runs in the powerplay. They hit just five boundaries in the eight overs that followed. Royals were squeezing the life out of them thanks to Ashwin (4-0-24-1) and Obed McCoy (2-0-16-0)
Yuzvendra Chahal was hit for a six and a four to start the 11th over. But this is not a bowler who backs down. He didn’t against Glenn Maxwell. He didn’t against Kieron Pollard. He didn’t against MS Dhoni. And he didn’t against Hooda either.
The game itself was long since over, but this head-to-head was still simmering.
Hooda has been one of the IPL’s perennial itinerants, never establishing his place in any of the teams he’s played for.
A player with so many gifts, foremost among them his long reach and plenty of power, should be dominating this tournament. But on occasion his decision-making has let him down.
At Super Giants, it seems he’s been given the confidence to play the way he likes. He’s been given responsibility too, batting at No. 3. When you’ve spent a long time on the fringes, and suddenly someone comes along and gives you that kind of trust, you will never want to let them down.
Hooda did what he could but in the end, it was just too much. He charged at Chahal once again in the 16th over, but this time the legspinner angled the ball into his pads, denying him the room to free those hands, and had him stumped off an inside edge.
With LSG needing 63 off the last 24 balls, the contest was all but over.
Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo