Kings make it two from two
Punjab Kings 197 for 4 (Dhawan 86*, Prabhsimran 60) beat Rajasthan Royals 192 for 7 (Samson 42, Ellis 4-30) by five runs
So, Guwahati's first IPL fixture is a triumph. A mountain of runs, a gripping finale, and if the locals were clearly rooting for Rajasthan, they are unlikely to have gone home disappointed. In fact, three of the last four matches between these teams have been decided by five runs or fewer.
They've climbed up the table into second with two wins from two, just adrift of Gujarat on NRR. And they've got Nathan Ellis to thank for breaking the back of Rajasthan's spirited chase, before a nerveless final over from the million-dollar man Sam Curran sealed the deal. Join us again tomorrow, when Kolkata comes to the IPL party for the first time this season.
In the meantime, here's a sneak preview of Alan Gardner's match report:
Punjab Kings made it two wins from two – and two defences under lights – as they held off a late-innings rampage from Rajasthan Royals to ensure Guwahati’s IPL debut ended in defeat for the home side. Kings rode on half-centuries from Prabhsimran Singh and Shikhar Dhawan and, although they fell short of passing 200, Nathan Ellis’ four-wicket haul was vital in hobbling Royals in the chase.
Dhawan, who became the third batter after David Warner and Virat Kohli to record 50 scores of 50-plus in the IPL, anchored Kings to what was perhaps only a par score at the compact Barapara Stadium with an unbeaten 86 off 56. Only 45 runs came off the last five overs, with economical spells from Jason Holder and R Ashwin pivotal in preventing the game from running away after Prabhsimran had helped fire Kings to 63 for 0 in the powerplay.
Royal then shipped wickets at regular intervals during their chase, despite some crisp hitting from Sanju Samson. They seemed out of contention at 129 for 6 at the end of the 16th over, only for Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel, Royals’ impact sub, to summon a boundary-hitting spree that reduced the requirement to 16 off the final over, bowled by Sam Curran. But the IPL’s record overseas signing held his nerve at the end of an otherwise indifferent performance to hand Royals a first defeat of the 2023 edition.