Lucknow Super Giants captain Okay.L. Rahul performs a shot throughout the Indian Premier League 2024 towards Rajasthan Royals in Lucknow on April 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Sanju Samson (71 n.o., 33b, 7×4, 4×6) and Dhruv Jurel (52 n.o., 34b, 5×4, 2×6) scripted Rajasthan Royals’ umpteenth flip of the plot this Indian Premier League, and took the desk topper to a seven-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium right here on Sunday.
Joining forces at 78 for 3, in a chase of 197, their unbeaten 121-run fourth-wicket affiliation put the Royals on the brink of playoffs qualification.
Jurel loved the rub off the inexperienced when he was put down twice by Yash Thakur in Mohsin Khan’s over. The destiny of the contest was all however sealed when Samson pocketed two maximums in Mohsin’s subsequent.
At the outset, Yashasvi Jaiswal laid down the marker with some lofted photographs off Matt Henry on both aspect of the sight-screen. While Jos Buttler was sluggish off the blocks, a ramp shot off Henry in the fourth over acquired him going.
Though the guests wiped off 60 runs in the PowerPlay, its openers falling in the house of three deliveries compelled a recalibration. Riyan Parag, nonetheless, couldn’t resist the tempting flight of Amit Mishra and miscued his heave to deep cowl in the ninth over, after which Jurel and Samson took over.
In the first essay, Okay.L Rahul (76, 48b, 8×4, 2×6) staved off early hiccups and heralded one other restoration job in the firm of Deepak Hooda (50, 31b, 7×4).
Rahul and Hooda mixed for 115 runs for the third wicket after Trent Boult and Sandeep Sharma’s new ball exploits plundered the Lucknow prime order. Rahul flexed his mobility when he long-established a slog sweep and breached the fence regardless of shedding steadiness and falling down off R. Ashwin.
Hooda flaunted his deft off-side vary, punching Boult by way of covers and backward level off an identical lengths. It took a carrom ball from Ashwin to fox Hooda who holed out at lengthy on.
A ultimate flourish was on the playing cards when Ayush Badoni fancied his probabilities and change hit Ashwin for 4. But a bouncer from Avesh that led Rahul to select the fielder at third man left LSG wanting for extra.
