In one of the most entertaining T20 matches ever seen, Rajasthan Royals scripted a dramatic turnaround to beat Kings XI Punjab by four wickets in Sharjah.
A superb ton by Mayank Agarwal earlier had helped the Kings XI set Rajasthan a daunting target of 224 to win on a flat track with little assistance for bowlers. Agarwal was supported by fellow opener KL Rahul who chipped in with a sedate 69 in a 183-run opening stand.
Despite losing Jos Buttler early in the chase, Rajasthan were back on track for the chase with the help of half-centuries from Steve Smith and Sanju Samson. Samson continued from where he left off against Chennai Super Kings with a 42-ball 85 which included seven sixes.
Rajasthan’s hopes seemed to be fading following the dismissals of Smith and Samson, but they found an unlikely hero in Rahul Tewatia to snatch a sensational win. Tewatia struggled early in his innings and looked to have handed the win to Punjab, before he unleashed a barrage of sixes to turn the game.
The left-hander smashed five sixes off the 18th over bowled by Sheldon Cottrell, with Rajasthan ultimately sealing victory with three deliveries to spare. The heroics saw the Royals pull off the highest successful chase in the IPL’s history.
