Rajasthan Royals defeated Punjab Kings on Saturday and remained on top of the IPL 2024 points table.
Rajasthan Royals defeated Punjab Kings by three wickets on Saturday, to remain on top of the IPL 2024 points table. It was a collective team effort as Sanju Samson and Co. sealed a three-wicket victory. Chasing 148, RR managed to reach 152/7 in 19.5 overs, as Shimron Hetmyer hit the match-winning six. Hetmyer smacked an unbeaten knock of 27 runs off 10 balls, which proved to be pivotal for RR. Meanwhile, Kagiso Rabada and Sam Curran took two wickets each for PBKS.
Rajasthan Royals’ Shimron Hetmyer plays a shot.(AFP)
Initially, a knock of 31 runs off 16 balls by Ashutosh Sharma saw PBKS post 147/8 in 20 overs. For RR’s bowling department, Keshav Maharaj and Avesh Khan bagged two dismissals each respectively.
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Also Read | Shimron Hetmyer hits match-winning six for RR, gets POTM after facing just 10 balls: ‘It’s a blessing and a curse’
Reacting to his match-winning impact, Hetmyer said, “(Mindset to finish games) It’s just practice, I try as much as possible to bat properly in the nets first and then when everyone’s finished, I go back and try my best to hit sixes. It’s a blessing and a curse (on being the finisher). Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. I am happy that I could help the team pull off a victory today.”
“They (pressure) creep in the first couple of balls that I face, afterwards I just try to keep it as clear as possible. Even in the last over after I missed the first two balls, he (Boult) came down to me and he was like “Don’t worry, we’ve got this,” and I was able to feed off his energy and it really worked. I would have taken it (single with 2 runs needed off 2 balls).
“I spoke to Boulty and he said, “I got this.” After he said that, I was like even if I don’t get the other one, I’ll try my best to get a single. Even if we don’t win it, at least tie it. I was really looking to get a single or double and then the full toss came and I tried to hit it over the guys that were inside. Being away from family, the only way you could keep yourself up is by just enjoying every moment that you’re here,” he added.
IPL 2024 points table after PBKS vs RR
IPL 2024 points table
RR are on top of the table with 10 points in six games. They are followed by Kolkata Knight Riders in second place, Chennai Super Kings in third, Lucknow Super Giants in fourth, Sunrisers Hyderabad in fifth and Gujarat Titans in sixth positions. The teams from second to sixth have the same number of overall points (6), with net run rate being the decider. Mumbai Indians are seventh in the table, with PBKS in eighth place. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals are ninth and Royal Challengers Bangalore are bottom of the ten-team table.
