The Rajasthan Royals secured a narrow victory against the Punjab Kings in a thrilling IPL 2024 match played on a slow wicket at Mullanpur. While they eventually secured their fifth win of the season, it was a chase that went down to the wire, highlighting the fighting spirit of both teams. This result further strengthens the Royals’ position at the top of the IPL 2024 points table, while the Kings remain rooted in the bottom half.
Star Power Absent, But Bowling Dominates for Both Sides
The match saw several key players missing due to injuries, including Jos Buttler and R Ashwin for the Royals, and Shikhar Dhawan for the Kings. Despite the absence of these big names, both teams displayed exceptional bowling performances. Â
Punjab Kings’ struggles in the powerplay continued, with their score reaching a meagre 38/1 after the crucial first six overs. This early pressure was primarily created by Avesh Khan and Yuzvendra Chahal, who picked up crucial wickets for the Royals.
Spinners Keshav Maharaj and Chahal proved to be particularly effective for the Royals, restricting the Punjab Kings’ batsmen and creating pressure. Maharaj finished with figures of 2/23, while Chahal took a wicket. For the Kings, Jitesh Sharma and Ashutosh Sharma played crucial knocks in the lower middle order, providing some much-needed impetus to their innings. Jitesh Sharma’s quickfire 29 and Ashutosh Sharma’s unbeaten 31 (16) helped the Kings reach a respectable total of 147 runs.
Royals Stumble Despite Steady Start
Chasing a modest target, the Royals had a cautious start with their openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and debutant Tanush Kotian, managing only 43 runs in the powerplay. While Jaiswal looked fluent with his 23 runs, Kotian struggled, scoring a slow 24 before being dismissed by Liam Livingstone. The dismissal of Jaiswal by Kagiso Rabada opened a window of opportunity for the Kings, who clawed their way back into the contest with wickets from Rabada and Arshdeep Singh.
With the equation down to a tense 34 runs required from the last 18 deliveries, the momentum swung back in the Royals’ favor. Shimron Hetmyer, known for his big-hitting abilities, played a crucial cameo, smashing a quickfire 27* off just 10 balls to seal the victory for his team. He capitalized on some wayward bowling from Harshal Patel and Sam Curran, taking full advantage of the loose deliveries to score boundaries and sixes.
Points Table Update: Royals Maintain Top Spot, Kings Languish
This hard-fought victory further solidifies the Rajasthan Royals’ position at the top of the IPL 2024 points table. They are the only team with points in double digits (10) and are in a comfortable lead. On the other hand, the Punjab Kings continue to struggle, finding themselves anchored to the eighth position with just two wins in six matches. Their inability to build strong partnerships and inconsistency with the bat are major areas they need to address to climb the points table.
IPL 2024 Points Table: Updated After PBKS vs RR Match 27
| Rank | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Points | NRR |
| 1 | Rajasthan Royals | 6 | 5 | 1 | 10 | +0.767 |
| 2 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | +1.528 |
| 3 | Chennai Super Kings | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | +0.666 |
| 4 | Lucknow Super Giants | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | +0.436 |
| 5 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | +0.344 |
| 6 | Gujarat Titans | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | -0.637 |
| 7 | Mumbai Indians | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -0.073 |
| 8 | Punjab Kings | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | -0.218 |
| 9 | Delhi Capitals | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | -0.975 |
| 10 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | -1.124. |
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