Late fireworks from Ashutosh Sharma lead PBKS to a respectable score of 147/8 against RR in IPL 2024

In a thrilling match at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Ashutosh Sharma’s explosive 31-run innings in just 16 balls helped Punjab Kings reach 147/8 against Rajasthan Royals. Despite a top-order collapse, PBKS managed to put up a competitive total, thanks to Ashutosh’s late fireworks in the death overs.

Facing a challenging pitch, Punjab Kings struggled early on as Rajasthan Royals bowlers maintained a tight line and length, resulting in poor shot selection by the PBKS batsmen. Despite the early setbacks, Jitesh Sharma’s 29-run knock and Ashutosh’s blistering innings in the last five overs propelled PBKS to a fighting total. Keshav Maharaj and Avesh Khan were the pick of the bowlers for RR, taking two wickets each, with support from Chahal, Boult, and Sen.

Atharva Taide started well for PBKS with some aggressive strokes, but eventually fell after top-edging a pull shot. The rest of the Power-play overs proved to be a struggle for Punjab Kings as RR bowlers continued to tighten the screws. Prabhsimran Singh and stand-in captain Sam Curran were dismissed cheaply, putting pressure on the middle order.

Jitesh Sharma provided some momentum to the PBKS innings with crucial boundaries, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Ashutosh, who was dropped early in his innings, made full use of the reprieve by smashing three sixes and a boundary in the final over. However, his innings came to an end on the last ball as PBKS finished their innings on a stop-start note, posting 147/8 in 20 overs.

Despite some late heroics from Ashutosh, Rajasthan Royals bowlers put up a disciplined performance to restrict Punjab Kings to a manageable total. With Keshav Maharaj and Avesh Khan leading the charge, RR will be confident of chasing down the target and securing a crucial victory in this IPL encounter.