Another showdown of IPL 2024 has been ended. Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings locked horns at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. The Guwahati spectators have seen an intense clash between these two teams. In this match, Punjab Kings showcased amazing characters whereas Rajasthan Royals were seen struggling. With that immense dominance, the Punjab Kings registered a 5-wicket win. That win brought some changes in the points table.
Punjab’s Bowling Dominance and Rajasthan’s Struggle in Bowling:
In the 65th match between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, the Punjab bowlers delivered an outstanding performance, dominating the Rajasthan batters. Captain Sam Curran made a significant breakthrough by dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal early on, followed by Nathan Ellis sending Sanju Samson back to the pavilion. Despite a promising partnership between Riyan Parag and Ravichandran Ashwin, the Punjab bowlers, including Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, and Rahul Chahar, continued to take crucial wickets.
Batting first after winning the toss, Rajasthan faced early setbacks, losing key wickets including skipper Sanju Samson. However, Riyan Parag and Ravichandran Ashwin provided some stability with their noteworthy contributions. Parag’s impressive innings of 48 runs and Ashwin’s 28 runs helped Rajasthan put up a respectable total. Yet, their efforts were not enough as Punjab’s bowlers maintained pressure, ultimately limiting Rajasthan to a challenging target of 144 runs in their allotted 20 overs.
Punjab’s Exceptional Batting and Rajasthan’s Bowling Woes:
In the second innings, Punjab Kings faced early setbacks as Prabhsimran Singh departed early. Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw made modest contributions, but it was skipper Sam Curran’s unbeaten 63 runs off 41 balls that turned the tide. Ashutosh Sharma’s unbeaten 17 runs further bolstered their chase, leading them to a remarkable 5-wicket victory.
However, Punjab’s batting struggles were mirrored in their bowling performance. Trent Boult struck early by dismissing Prabhsimran Singh, followed by Avesh Khan’s crucial wicket of Rilee Rossouw. Yuzvendra Chahal played a pivotal role, claiming the wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Jitesh Sharma. Avesh Khan and Chahal ended with 2 wickets each, while Boult contributed with 1 wicket. But their effort didn’t make it to the last and they faced a defeat.
The Changes in the Points Table:
After that 5-wicket win, Punjab Kings jumped into the 9th position. Mumbai Indians slipped into the 10th position of the points table. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals is still standing in the second position but that defeat impacted their net run rate.
| Rank | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Points | NRR |
| 1. | Kolkata Knight Riders | 13 | 9 | 3 | 19 | +1.428 |
| 2. | Rajasthan Royals | 13 | 8 | 4 | 16 | +0.273 |
| 3. | Chennai Super Kings | 13 | 7 | 6 | 14 | +0.528 |
| 4. | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 12 | 7 | 5 | 14 | +0.406 |
| 5. | Delhi Capitals | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | -0.377 |
| 6. | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 13 | 6 | 7 | 12 | +0.387 |
| 7. | Lucknow Super Giants | 13 | 6 | 7 | 12 | -0.787 |
| 8. | Gujarat Titans | 13 | 5 | 7 | 11 | -1.063 |
| 9. | Punjab Kings | 13 | 5 | 8 | 10 | -0.347 |
| 10. | Mumbai Indians | 13 | 4 | 9 | 8 | -0.271 |
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and Instagram
