IPL 2023 | Livingstone's Brilliance, Jitesh's Power-Packed Cameo Steer PBKS to Win vs CSK
Livingstone scored a crucial 40 [iplt20.com]
Punjab Kings - 201-6 (20) [Liam Livingstone 40 (24), Jitesh Sharma 21 (10); Tushar Deshpande 3-49 (4), Ravindra Jadeja 2-32 (4) beat Chennai Super Kings - 200/4 (20) [Devon Conway 92* (52), Ruturaj Gaikwad 37 (31); Sikandar Raza 1-31 (3), Rahul Chahar 1-35 (4)
Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings in a memorable game to seal the game with 4-wickets in hand. Chasing a daunting 201 at Chepauk, PBKS batters held their nerves and won the match on the very last ball.
Conway reigns supreme
After a rather poor batting performance against the Rajasthan Royals, Devon Conway was at his best, taking the Punjab bowlers to the cleaners. The wicket was a belter for the first 10 overs and the southpaw made sure that he utilised the conditions.
Conway started off by attacking Kagiso Rabada with back-to-back boundaries and made sure that when the spinners came on, the run-rate never slipped below the desired rate. He added 86 for the first wicket alongside Gaikwad and then added valuable runs with Shivam Dube, who continued his rich vein of form and scored a crucial 17-ball 28.
Even when the boundaries dried up and the wicket got slower, Conway made sure that he continued to rotate the strike and in the process went past the 5,000 run-mark in T20s.
The Kiwi international needed 9 runs in the last over to complete his maiden IPL century, but he couldn't achieved the target and remained unbeaten on 92. It was the Dhoni special on the last two balls of the innings, that propelled them to reach 200 on the board.
The CSK skipper struck two sixes in a row to Sam Curran and as usual, finished off in style.
PBKS onslaught Takes them home
PBKS started the chase on a positive note. The trusted opening duo of Shikhar Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh added 50 runs inside 4.1 overs and were well on the course to lay a strong winning foundation.
But a rash shot from Dhawan changed the equation of the match. Tushar Deshpande bowled a widish delivery outside the off as Dhawan slashed hard and the outside-edge was caught at short third.
Despite Dhawan's wicket, PBKS batters continued the assault and kept with the required run-rate. But two wickets in quick successions (Prabhsimran and Atharva Taide) brought CSK back in the scheme of things.
The spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Ravindra Jadeja kept things tight post the 10-over mark as the required rate climbed up, putting the pressure on Liam Livingstone.
The Englishman brought his best against Deshpande in the 16th over, smashing him for three monstrous hits, but he got a bit greedy as he went for another big hit and perished in the end for a quick-fire 40. Jitesh, yet again came to the rescue and played one of the finest cameos of the season. He scored a brilliant 21 off 10 and sent jitters to the CSK camp. But he threw his wicket away and CSK could smell the victory once again.
The equation was brought down 9 runs in the last over and Pathirana was given the responsibility to take CSK past the winning line. He did well and 3 needed off the last ball, but Sikandar Raza held his nerves and stole three crucial runs to seal the deal.
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