IPL 2021 | PBKS vs RR: What Experts said after a dramatic last ball victory for Punjab Kings

Fortunes fluctuated from one side to the other but in the end, a young Arshdeep Singh held his nerves and delivered a killer punch in the final over of the match as Punjab Kings sealed a nerve-wracking victory by just 4 runs in the 4th match of Vivo IPL 14. A sensational Sanju Samson century went in vain as RR fell agonisingly close to the victory target of 222, managing to score 217. 

Chasing a stiff target of 222 was always going to be a tough ask for the Rajasthan Royals. Ben Stokes needed to play a vital role if they harboured hopes of getting anywhere close but his dismissal in the opening over firmly put them on the backfoot. Manan Vohra also fell quickly after playing a few brilliant shots but Sanju Samson had different ideas. 

His partnership of 53 runs with Shivam Dube slowly got them back into the game and his partnership with Riyan Parag was the game-changer. Parag played a breezy knock of 25 that came in just 11 deliveries and that paved way for a dramatic comeback. 

Samson rode his luck and went onto become the first-ever debutant skipper to score an IPL century. He took Jhye Richardson apart in the 18th over where he collected 19 runs in the over which tilted the scales in Rajasthan’s favour. Eventually, with 5 required off the last two deliveries, Samson refused a single to Chris Morris which turned out to be a game-changing moment as Samson didn’t manage to smash the required boundary and was holed out in the deep. 

Earlier in the day, it was some incredible batting from Punjab Kings which took them to a mammoth total of 221 runs. Following the loss of Mayank Agarwal, it was Chris Gayle and Rahul who smashed the bowlers around before Depak Hooda took the onus on himself to take Punjab to a position of strength. His quickfire knock of 64 of just 28 runs set the pace for Punjab. Eventually a fantastic final over from youngster Chetan Sakaria stopped Punjab from going beyond the 230 mark. 

Captain’s Viewpoint

Following a dramatic contest, both the captains expressed their views on the encounter. Rahul stated that he believed in his team and knew that a few wickets will bring them back into the game. He also rued the missed opportunities which might have helped them seal the match way early. 

“ I didn't stop believing in the team, and we knew a couple of wickets will bring us back. The game went deep only because me included, we dropped some sitters. We bowled well until about 11-12 overs. We're used to this, and it's not something new for us, but a win like this brings the team together. We batted really well and bowled well in patches. 

We weren't consistent with the lengths but the bowlers will learn. A lot of talented, skilful players, and it's important that we back them. It was an amazing innings from Hooda, and that's the kind of fearless batting we want to see in the IPL,” Rahul said. 

He added the fact that tentativeness on certain occasions have been a huge drawback for them and they need to play fearlessly. He lauded the efforts of Chris Gayle and Deepak Hooda who along with Rahul batted brilliantly to set the foundation for the rest of the innings. 

“We have been tentative sometimes, and it's important for us to play fearlessly at times, so I am happy that the expectations are being understood and met. Gayle and Hooda were both good that way. I always go to Arshdeep for crucial overs and he enjoys the pressure. He loves being in the contest and I love throwing him the ball, and he trusts himself and trusts his skills, so that's always good to see,” Rahul added. 

Sanju Samson rued the missed opportunity. He also finished it off for Rajasthan Royal but eventually fell in the final hurdle. 

“I don't have words to explain my feelings. Would have loved to finish it off for my team. I don't think I could have done better than that. I thought I timed it well for a six but somehow... Catches go down and good catches were also taken. It's part of the game,” Samson said. 

Expert Opinion 

Several experts gave their viewpoint on the game. Everyone hailed the incredible innings by Sanju Samson besides garnering praises for other youngsters like Arshdeep Singh and Chetan Sakaria.