Punjab Kings (PBKS) returned to winning ways with a thrilling two-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 21st match of the Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL) on April 15. KL Rahul ended his drought of half-century by scoring 74 off 56 but Lucknow managed to score just 159/8 while batting first. Then Lucknow bowlers dominated from the start but Sikandar Raza's fifty and a cameo from Shahrukh Khan guided Punjab to a thrilling victory with three balls to spare.
Shikhar Dhawan missed the game due to a shoulder niggle, but young Sam Curran excelled in the leadership role. He took three late wickets to deny Lucknow a big finish while Kagiso Rabada picked two valuable wickets of Krunal Pandya and Nicholas Pooran. Debutant Yudhvir Singh took two early wickets but Lucknow allowed Raza to run the show in the middle overs. Ravi Bishnoi took two wickets, including that of Raza in the 18th over, but Shahrukh dragged his team to a finish line by smashing 23* off 10 with the help of one four and two maximums.
KL Rahul ends his struggles
KL Rahul was under pressure to perform and he he produced his best innings of this season to answer his critics with his first half-century this season. Rahul scored 74 off 56 with the help of eight fours and a solitary maximum but did not get much support from his teammates. Rahul's strike rate of 132.14 was still a talking point, but the opener needed this big knock to lay off some pressure. Rahul also impressed with a stunning diving catch to dismiss Jitesh Sharma.
Sikandar Raza pulls off his maiden fifty
Raza smashed 57 off 41 with four fours and three sixes to become the first Zimbabwean cricketer to record a fifty in IPL history. He first shone with the ball, picking Deepak Hooda's wicket, and then played a match-winning knock with the bat. He was not able to finish the game but won the Player of the Match award for his all-round contribution.
Deepak Hooda fails again
Deepak Hooda's disappointing season continued as he managed to score just two runs. Hooda has now scored 37 from the opening five games this season and is slowly becoming a liability for Lucknow. He emerged as the biggest asset for KL Rahul in IPL 2022, but the franchise will explore other options for the No. 3 role if batter fails to turn things around in the upcoming games.
Winning captain, Sam Curran said:
Amazing win. I thought our spinners bowled nicely. KG does what he does. Bit of dew came in but the wicket was offering a little for the bowlers. The way Sikandar Raza played was brilliant. And the way Shahrukh finished it, that's what he's in our team to do. His role has been clear in our side. Players who can hit sixes from ball one are dangerous. You go from ground to ground - different dimensions - have to come up with different gameplans. We've got so many options which is lovely to have as a captain. I've never done it before. Hopefully Shikhar is fit soon.
Losing captain, KL Rahul said:
We were about 10 short, the dew came in and helped the batters a bit more. We didnt do too well with the ball. (On what is a par score here) When your'e playing on a new pitch, you cant rely on previous games so we are taking it as it comes. Assessing it as it comes to think what would be a par total. If a few guys get going, we can get that 180-190 mark like Mayers and Pooran played well in that DC game, but unfortunately today a few batters got caught on the boundary lines. If they went over, the score could have been different. Part of the game, we learn from it. (On his diving catch) Game on the line, you have to give it everything on the field. I saw the ball and went for it. (On finding balance between aggression and anchoring) Each player has a different role, we are 7-8 batters in our team and few are powerful enough to clear every boundary, the others have different skills. We each play our role and thats what makes the team exciting. We have power in Pooran and Stoin, and Mayers up top takes the aggressive route. For each player taking that aggressive route can look different, you have to stick to what works best for you.
Player of the Match, Sikandar Raza said:
Feels great to be honest. When I got out, there were a few demons in my head. Credit to Shahrukh. Nice to get a fifty but if we had lost, I wouldn't have felt so good. It's one of the biggest stage. You're here and you want to do well. I've had two average games which was there in my head. Jitesh's wicket was very crucial. Had he stayed on for 6-8 balls, he would've finished the game himself. But the way Shahrukh came out hitting his first ball for six, I was confident in him.
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