Punjab Kings (145/5) defeated Rajasthan Royals (144/9) in the 65th match of the IPL 2024 as Royals suffered their 4th defeat on a trot. Harshal Patel (2/28), Sam Curran (2/24) and Rahul Chahar (2/26) bowled well to restrict Rajasthan to 144 runs in their first innings, which Punjab chased easily with captain Sam Curran (63/41) leading the charge.
Punjab Kings dominated the proceedings from start to finish after they won the toss and elected to bowl. They restricted Rajasthan to just 58 runs for 3 wickets after 10 overs thanks to the attacking approach of Nathan Ellis (1/24) and Rahul Chahar. In spite of early pressure, Rajasthan managed to score 144 runs with the help of Riyan Parag’s (48/34) resiliency.
Punjab Kings were handed a big hiccup in chase when Rajasthan Royals took three wickets inside eight overs with the scoreboard reading only 48. Curran, however, rose to the occasion and scored 63 runs to chase down 145 runs in 18.5 overs. Likewise, Ashutosh Sharma (17/11) played a crucial role in making sure Punjab succeeded in chasing the target. 
Rajasthan Royals have now lost four consecutive matches, and despite confirming their playoff spot, they are now in danger of missing out on a top two finish. Jos Buttler’s departure leaves them with an extra hole to fill and things aren’t looking good for them going into the final stage. With this win, Punjab Kings have come as the biggest spoiler in their second last match of the season. The team is currently 6th in the table and can be proud of this exciting season.
Curran’s dream start
Rajasthan have lost most matches when Jos Buttler and Yashvashi Jaiswal (4/4) fail to score in power plays. Rajasthan’s batting line-up has been dependent on them, which will no longer be the case after Buttler’s national duty call. Coming into this game, Jaiswal had an extra responsibility with Buttler absent but Curran knocked over Jaiswal in first over to give dream start to Punjab. Rajasthan looked underpowered after Jaiswal’s wicket and failed to make use of the powerplay with just 38 runs at the loss of one wicket.
Rahul Chahar’s mystery in middle overs
In the middle overs of their innings, Rajasthan looked under immense pressure. However, when R Ashwin (28/19) took control, they looked poised to post a good total. However, Punjab bowlers pulled back and dismissed him. After him, only Rovman Powell (4/5) could have changed the game against Punjab, but even before he could set his eyes for it, Chahar sent him back to the pavilion which dismantled Rajasthan’s middle order. Chahar ended his spell with 3 wickets for just 24 runs.
Exemplary Harshal Patel in death overs
In spite of not being in the headlines, Harshal Patel has been a key performer for Punjab Kings. He has been very clinical with his variations and it was on full display against Rajasthan. In the end, Patel was the main reason why Rajasthan could not get to a good total despite having set batsmen like Riyan Parag. With only 14 runs conceded, Harshal bowled two overs in death overs and took the all-important wickets of Donovan Ferreira (7/8) and Riyan Parag.
Pressure release against R Ashwin
During the middle overs, Punjab Kings were in deep trouble with four wickets lost at the end of eight overs, as Ravi Ashwin (0/31) and Yuzi Chahal (2/31) dominated the proceedings. Particularly Ashwin was posing a serious problem for Punjab and they desperately needed a pressure release in the 14th over. Jitesh Sharma (22/20) and Sam Curran took the risk and nailed Ashwin for two sixes, accumulating 14 runs which changed the slope of the match. During that over, Punjab’s innings took a big turn for the better.
Ashutosh Sharma’s calm finish
Punjab faced a low scoring game on a two-paced pitch in the second innings, and chasing 42 runs out of five overs looked like a big challenge. However, it wasn’t until Ashutosh Sharma came to the crease. This Madhya Pradesh-born batsman took charge from ball one and facilitated the chase smoothly, which looked like a big challenge. Ashutosh scored 17 runs in 11 balls to help Punjab win its fifth match of the season.
As Punjab Kings were already out of the playoff race before this clash, this win won’t affect their chances. But this win can do wonders for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The SRH now have the chance to surpass Rajasthan Royals in the points table and finish second if they win the remaining two games. Punjab are still at 9th in the table with five wins and eight losses after this win. In the last match of the season, they face Sunrisers Hyderabad on the 19th May and Parimatch odds suggest that they will win by 2.36x. After this loss, Rajasthan Royals will be gutted, as it is their fourth straight loss. To finish among the top two, they must win their final game against Kolkata Knight Riders at Guwahati. Parimatch odds for that game stand at 2.00x.
