PBKS vs RR, 8th Match at Guwahati, IPL, Apr 05 2023 - Match Result

11.44 pm And so after four hours and 14 minutes.... your winner is the Punjab Kings by five runs. Rajasthan really gave this match away with a series of strategic blunders. The total was well within their reach, especially after conceding just seven runs off the 20th over in the first innings. But they bungled a number of things starting with the batting order followed by two reviews lost - not on lbw decisions but on attempted reversals of legal deliveries into wides/no balls.

Rajasthan captain Sanju Samson: "I think it was a really good track to bat on especially in the Powerplay. There was not much movement. Their batsmen came with a really positive mindset and their momentum carried on with that. Our bowlers tried varying their lengths and speed. It's a high scoring venue but we did reasonably good job pulling them back after the Powerplay start they got. [On sending Ashwin in to open] Jos was not fit. He was getting stitches for his finger after the catch. The thinking was with Padikkal, they have two spinners, a left-arm and a leggie, and we wanted a lefty out there in the middle overs. [On Jurel] It's really a pleasure. He has been with us for the last two seasons. Lots and lots of work has gone behind him. We all are really happy. When you come to the IPL, it's a one-week camp before the IPL starts but these guys put in 5 weeks of work coming to our academy facing thousands of balls. We're happy to have a batsman like that in our team. Dew, I was expecting it come in the second half of the game but it was right there in the first innings. It was a high scoring game and I think we'll be a bit more prepared in the next game."

Punjab allrounder Sam Curran: "[On the final over] I think when it comes to those situations, you know if you nail your yorker, you'll be okay. Some days it works and some days it won't but luckily it was our day. I was trying to get our ball changed because it was like soap. I don't really understand why they got their ball changed but we can't. [On Prabhsimran] He's been amazing. I was with him at Punjab four years ago. He was very young and is still young. The team got off to a great start. Hopefully it's the start of a great campaign for him and the runs keep coming because he's an amazing player. The way we were playing, I was happy sitting in the dugout because the boys were playing beautifully. All that matters is that we won. [On bowling with a wet ball] It's amazingly hard. You try to train by dipping balls in water. It's incredibly hard to hold the seam. You try to bowl cross seam but it's not a natural ball to bowl a yorker cross seam. It's extremely tough but everyone has to do it so there's no real complaining. We just have to keep getting better because the batters are getting better, the bowlers are getting better and that's why this tournament is the best in the world."

Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan: "There were some nervous moments but I was keeping my calm and the same with the bowlers. There was a lot of dew. The bowlers did a great job. I was happy with the score we put up. They bowled well and bowled very good yorkers. [Asked what was the turning point in the game] My switch hits? [Laughs] Scoring 197 and then my bowlers coming and getting early wickets and keeping the pressure on and then Nathan came on and got wickets. We never let the game get out of our hands. There were some moments that were hard but I think it was a great team effort. These two matches, we've gotten a great start playing well and I'm doing my best to increase my strike rate. The wicket brings momentum back quickly. This year we have a deep batting lineup so we keep momentum going hitting boundaries and put pressure on the other team. You have to respect that the other team has come to play and will bowl some good overs as well but we have to keep the intent and aggression going."

Player of the Match is Nathan Ellis for his 4 for 30, including the wickets of Buttler and Samson: "It's one of those days where you can potentially bowl not your best and get rewards. There's some other guys in the team who probably deserve some rewards, but just stoked to get the win in another tight one with Rajasthan. To me it's just ball-by-ball. Each ball is a moment. I don't want to get too swept up in one over's time, five overs' time, ten overs' time. It's more about that ball's time. T20 is getting to the point where every ball counts and staying in the moment is key. Easier said than done, especially in a game like tonight. When I was bowling in the back end, I was really trying to focus on drying the ball - because it was so wet - and two to get my execution right so for me it was cross seam. I was calculating the best percentage ball for me in that time and to restrict runs. I'm stoked and really happy for Sam to get us over the line."

That's it for our live coverage of tonight's game where I can confirm that the PUNJAB KINGS won by five runs. Come back tomorrow (or is it today? It's now 12:12 am in India with the post-match presentation ending after midnight) for some more IPL action. Until then, take care!

Oishik: "Punjab should be happy ellis dropped the catch or it wouldve been reviewed by the 3rd umpire hahah. Funny how things work out in ur favour"

Holden needs 4, 6, or 6, 4 off the last two balls to force a Super Over. Or alternatively, two sixes to win it.

Moiz: "If the chest high no-ball call was so blatant, shouldn't the on field umpire be competent enough to call it !" It was rib-high in my eyes, but the ribs are above the waist. So all in all, a fair point.

Holder enters off strike with 12 needed off 3.

Chandan : "Those 4 dot balls by Ashwin in powerplay !!"

Nimit: "That review was wasted by none other than... Padikkal ."

15 off 7 with a free hit would be drastically different from 16 off 6. Use your reviews wisely...

Arshdeep comes back over the wicket now after getting pumped for a pair of boundaries around the wicket.

Half-century partnership comes up.

Sharad: "34 off 12 is very gettable! Hetmyer needs to swing more out of this park. In the Arc Out of the Park"

Arshdeep comes back left-arm around the stumps into Jurel.

Vinod Rajpal: "I am smelling SUPER OVER tonight !" Please no. The match is currently three minutes short of four hours as it is.