Hello and welcome to Sportstar's Live coverage of Match 9 of IPL 2020 between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Rajasthan Royals chase 224 runs - the highest successful run chase in IPL history to beat Kings XI Punjab by four wickets.
Sanju Samson slammed a brilliant 42-ball 85 but it was Rahul Tewatia's unbelievable innings of 31-ball 53 that helped Rajasthan chase down a record total of 224. What a game this was! Mayank Agarwal's maiden IPL century goes in vain.
Rahul Tewatia turns the game on its head with a 30-ball 50 and hands Rajasthan a famous record victory. Oh goodness what striking and what turnaround. Rajasthan 222/5 after 19 overs.
Rahul Tewatia smacks Sheldon Cottrell for 30 runs in an over and keeps Rajasthan in hunt. A record five sixes in the over. Rajasthan 203/3 after 18 overs.
Robin Uthappa gets going with two consecutive boundaries and has stepped out with a positive intent. However, Rajasthan requires 51 runs from 18 deliveries. Rajasthan 173/3 after 17 overs.
WICKET! Mohammed Shami gets the prized wicket of Sanju Samson and what a knock he has played. A brilliant 42-ball 85 comes to an end and you need to feel for Samson. Brilliant batting but the show has to end. Punjab, can finally breathe easy.
Sanju Samson smacks Glenn Maxwell for 21 runs to give Rajasthan a glimmer of hope. Can the young wicket-keeper batsman play a blinder? If he does, this knock will go down as one of the best in IPL's history. Rajasthan 161/2 after 16 overs.
Rahul Tewatia finally connects as he smokes Ravi Bishnoi for a maximum but has it come tad late. Samson is still in. Rajasthan requires 84 off 30. Rajasthan 140/2 after 15 overs.
Rahul Tewatia is not helping Rajasthan and it's one of those days, where he is struggling to even connect. Asking rate has jumped well over 15 and Sanju Samson is just a spectator at the other end. Rajasthan 132/2 after 14 overs.
Excellent from Ravi Bishnoi as he gives just four runs and most importantly has kept Rahul Tewatia on strike. Tewatia is 5 off 13 deliveries and he has kept Sanju Samson off the strike by not able to connect. Punjab won't mind that. Rajasthan 122/2 after 13 overs.
Fifty for Samson: What a knock from Sanju Samson as he scores his second consecutive half-century and it's been a brilliant one. However, Ravi Bishnoi handed Samson a chance by putting down a difficult one. Maxwell isn't happpy. Rajasthan118/2 after 12 overs.
Rahul Tewatia cannot afford to play dot balls as the asking required has climbed to almost 13. However, Samson is batting beautifully and is a run shy from scoring yet another half-cnetury. Rajasthan 112/2 after 11 overs.
Excellent over from Glenn Maxwell as he gives just four runs and that's the most economical over. Rajasthan 104/2 after 10 overs.
Smith falls after Fifty: James Neesham gets the much-needed breakthrough as he gets Steve Smith, who departs for a wonderful 27-ball 50. Can Samson pull this off remains to be seen. Rahul Tewatia joins Samson. Rajasthan 100/2 after 9 overs.
It was an exhilarating over with Nicholas Pooran amost pulling out a stunner near the ropes with Kevin Pietersen saying on air, "That's the best I have seen." Meanwhile, Sanju Smson is going great guns and along with Smith has put on an unbeaten 73-run stand. We are in for a cracker of a run chase. Rajasthan 92/1 after 8 overs.
Steve Smith is approaching his half-century and Rajasthan is very much in the chase. Sanju Samson is striking the ball clean as a whistle and Punjab in desperate need for a breakthrough. Rajasthan 80/1 after 7 overs.
End of PowerPlay: Steve Smith has taken on James Neesham as he loots 14 runs from the over with three boundaries. Punjab needs to break this stand. Great start for the Royals. Rajasthan 69/1 after 6 overs.
Samson and SMith bring the 50 up for Rajasthan in the fifth over and Samson is looking in prime touch. He dispatches Ravi Bishnoi for a maximum and then a boundary. Rajasthan, clearly going after the target. Rajasthan 55/1 after 5 overs.
Sanju Samson and Steve Smith are looking to build a partnership with Smith trying to unsettle Mohammed Shami. Rajasthan 44/1 after 4 overs.
Sanju Samson gets into the act quickly with a six and boundary but Cottrell would believe he bowled a decent one, especially with the wicket of Jos Buttler. Rajasthan 30/1 after 3 overs.
WICKET! There's the breakthrough and Sheldon Cottrell gets his first wicket of the match as he removes Jos Buttler. That's the start Punjab wanted. Sanju Samson joins Steve Smith.
Mohammed Shami steams in as he almost gets Jos Buttler but Punjab decide not to review it, and rightly so as there wasn't any nick. Rajasthan 19/0 after 2 overs.
Steve Smith gets the run chase underway with a couple of boundaries but Sheldon Cottrell is not happy with the foot-marks. Rajasthan 11/0 after 1 over.
Rajasthan begins chase of 224. Alright Jos Buttler and Steve Smith are out there in the middle and it will be Sheldon Cottrell who will start proceedings with the new ball.
End of Innings: Kings XI Punjab posts 223/2 Mayank Agarwal (106, 50b, 10x4, 7x6), KL Rahul (69, 54b, 7x4, 1x6, Nicholas Pooran 25, 8b, 1x4, 3x6)
What an innings from Mayank Agarwal. The Karnataka batsman hits his maiden IPL century with his skipper KL Rahul in company and the Karnataka teammates tore apart the opposition. Rahul played his part with a half-century as Nicholas Pooran with a 8-ball 25 has powered Punjab to a massive 223/2. Back for the chase in a bit.
Nicholas Pooram hammers Tom Currran over deep mid-wicket to help Punjab cross the 200-run mark. How much more Punjab can garner in the final over needs to be seen. Punjab 205/2 after 19 overs.
WICKET! KL Rahul falls for a 54-ball 69 and he has played his part. The skipper perishes while trying to up the ante and it will be on Glenn Maxwell to take Punjab past the 200-run mark. Punjab 194/2 after 18 overs.
WICKET! Mayank Agarwal falls but what an innings he has played. Absolute carnage and he has played a fantastic knock that will be remembered for some time. Glenn Maxwell joins KL Rahul. Punjab 185/1 after 17 overs.
This has been absolute stunning batting display from Mayank Agarwal and what a start he has had in this IPL. Credit to Rahul for just playing the second fiddle and allowing his partner to play the dominating role. Punjab 178/0 after 16 overs.
Maiden IPL century for Mayank Agarwal and he gets to his century in just 45 deliveries. What a masterclass this has been and he reaches the three-figure mark with a boundary. Punjab 172/0 after 15 overs.
Mayank Agarwal is just five runs short of his century and he moves to 95 with a pull to the backward square leg boundary. Meanwhile, KL Rahul does a Kapil Dev as he brings the Nataraja shot, that too against Jofra Archer. Wonderful batting. Punjab 161/0 after 14 overs.
Almost every over there has been a boundary and this time Mayank plays an excellent shot over extra cover for a maximum. Mayank has been dominating and he is on course to hit his maiden IPL century. Punjab 148/0 after 13 overs.
Fifty for KL Rahul: Rahul has picked up from where he had left in the last game as he notches another fifty. Starts with a huge six over deep mid-wicket, follows it up with a boundary over backward point and with a single reaches his half-century. The highest ever partnership in this IPL and for Kings XI Punjab. Punjab 138/0 after 12 overs.
Javdev Unadkat has mixed his deliveries well in this over and even surprised Rahul with a slower one. However, Mayank still managed a boundary to peel off 10 from the over. Punjab 120/0 after 11 overs.
Mayank Agarwal is clearly out there with an intent and Rahul is happy to play the second fiddle. A boundary through the square leg and the duo bring the highest opening partnership of the season. Punjab 110/0 after 10 overs.
Fifty for Mayank: Excellent fifty for Mayank Agarwal and he is red hot form. He tonks Shreyas Gopal for a couple of huge sixes and the 100 is up for Punjab in just 8.4 overs. Punjab 102/0 after 9 overs.
Mayank Agarwal has decided to go after the bowling as he first smokes Rahul Tewatia over deep square leg for a maximum and then goes down on his six for another six and finishes with a boundary. It's raining boundaries in Sharjah. Punjab 86/0 after 8 overs.
Shreyas Gopal manages to push Rahul on the backfoot but Punjab is going great guns. Punjab 67/0 after 7 overs.
A quiet over from Jofra Archer as he gives just two runs. Punjab 60/0 after 6 overs.
Anikit Rajpoot is struggling to find his rhythm as both Rahul and Agarwal are scoring thick and fast. The 50 is up for Punjab in just the fifth over. Punjab 58/0 after 5 overs.
KL Rahul welcomes Jofra Archer with a couple of exquisite cover drives and then flays over backward point to record hat-trick of boundaries. Clever batting from Rahul as he is waiting for the ball to come to him and then executes with such lovely free flow of hands. Punjab 41/0 after 4 overs.
Mayank Agarwal tonks the 100th six of the IPL and the Punjab openers are off to a quick start. 17 runs from Unadkat's over. Punjab 28/0 after 3 overs.
Mayank Agarwal gets going as he hits the first six of the day. Length delivery from Ankit Rajpoot and Mayank tonks it clean over long-off for a maximum. Punjab 11/0 after 2 overs.
Excellent start from Jaydev Unadkat as he gives just three runs from his first over. There is a bit of bounce and it remains to be seen how the batsmen tackle. Punjab 3/0 after 1 over.
Rahul is all set to take strike and it will be Jaydev Unadkat with the ball. Here we go!
KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal are all set and out come the players for a Super Sunday encounter. 33 sixes in the last game in Sharjah and it will there be another run-fest on a belter of a track.
Toss: Rajasthan Royals wins toss and Steve Smith opts to bowl first. Jos Buttler comes into the side.
Steve Smith: We are gonna bowl. It was a little bit tacky in the first innings last game, that's the reason we are chasing. After the end of the last game, we know how wet it was. Miller's out and Rajpoot's in. Buttler is in and Jaiswal misses. Hopefully I'll spend a little more time in the middle tonight.
KL Rahul: We are still looking for the same process, get a good start. It's either been 150 or 200-plus. The lengths might change a little bit. It's a small ground, so the margin for error is very less.
Pitch Report: Not a hint of grass and looks like a belter. It's a good surface to bat on and as a spinner you need to pull your lengths back, reckons Rohan Gavaskar. Kevin Pietersen says, "It's a batsman's paradise."
Spin king Shane Warne, mentor of the Rajasthan Royals has joined the side and is in quarantine. He should join the squad in the coming days.
Kings XI skipper K. L. Rahul has accumulated 275 runs at an average of 55 and strike rate of 127.31 in seven clashes against the Royals.
Batsmen are likely to take the centre-stage when Rajasthan Royals faces Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League ( IPL) clash at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
RR vs KXIP - Head-to-head record, Players to watch out for
While the shorter boundaries and a batting track on offer – the match between Royals and Chennai Super Kings saw a combined 33 sixes – will make it a tough ask for bowlers from both sides, Rajasthan Royals will be bolstered by the return of Jos Buttler.
READ: Top 10 leading run-scorers in UAE
The quarantine rule forced him to miss the game against Chennai Super Kings, but with the England international available for the key clash on Sunday, Royals batting order will benefit. While Buttler was the designated opener from last season, he would be better served as the finisher in this team. That could allow Steve Smith, who filled in as an opener and scored 69 off 47 balls, to continue as Yashasvi Jaiswal’s partner at the top.
THE SQUADS
Rajasthan Royals: Steve Smith (Captain), Jos Buttler (Wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, Robin Uthappa, David Miller, Ankit Rajpoot, Mahipal Lomror, Manan Vohra, Riyan Parag, Mayank Markande, Shreyas Gopal, Varun Aaron, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Akash Singh, Oshane Thomas, Andrew Tye, Rahul Tewatia, Shashank Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anirudha Joshi, Tom Curran, Anuj Rawat.
Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul (Captain), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, Mandeep Singh, James Neesham, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Chris Jordan, Karun Nair, Murugan Ashwin, Krishnappa Gowtham, Sheldon Cottrell, Hardus Viljoen, Ishan Porel, Sarfaraz Khan, Tajinder Singh, Darshan Nalkande, Arshdeep Singh, Simran Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ravi Bishnoi.
MATCH DETAILS
Game No. 9: Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Date: September 27, Sunday
Time: 7:30 PM IST
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