Kolkata Knight Riders’ Shreyas Iyer celebrates after winning the Indian Premier League 2024 final match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on May 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak

When Shreyas Iyer recreated Lionel Messi’s famous World Cup celebration after lifting the IPL Trophy as Kolkata Knight Riders captain in Chennai, it was nothing short of an Argentina moment for the embattled Indian cricketer at an individual level.

His central contract torn up a few weeks before the IPL besides a recurring back injury threatening to derail him, Iyer faced numerous challenges at the start of the year.

He finally found a deep sense of triumph and vindication in this victory, much like Messi did after exorcising the ghosts of losing the 2014 final and winning the trophy for his country after a 36-year-wait.

For the two-time IPL champions, the wait lasted 10 years as Iyer sang a redemption song following a topsy-turvy start to the year. Little wonder then that he chose to imitate the man who knows all about rising from setbacks.

So, Iyer, with the trophy in his hands, took a playful walk towards his teammates, quite similar to what Messi did after the final against France in Doha, and handed the big prize to them.

“I am hearing a lot about Gautam Gambhir, who has created a magnificent culture in the KKR team. But this guy (Iyer), I don’t think he is getting enough credit. Shreyas Iyer needs some credit,” said the legendary Ian Bishop on Sunday as KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in a completely one-sided final to win their third IPL title.

KKR may have got most of their runs from openers Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, but they played as a team and managed to come out winners in a dominant season, topping the table with two rounds to spare, and enduring just three losses in between.

“It is hard to express how we are feeling right now. The wait was so long. We played like invincibles throughout the season. There is so much to cherish right now,” said Iyer.

It was a special feeling for his childhood and Mumbai coach Pravin Amre, who first tested his character by promoting Iyer to No.3 from No.7 in his maiden Ranji season in 2014-15.

Iyer returned with 153, his maiden first-class hundred in their match against Bengal at Eden Gardens in December 2014.

“I challenged him in his entire career (in Mumbai)…I knew how strong-willed he’s and it was my job as a coach to challenge him. He always liked to take the challenge in a good stride. he is a good team man. In the last world cup, he scored 530 runs,” Amre said.

“I always told him you just do whatever is in your hands, let the other people do their job, you just remain focus on what’s in your hands,” added Amre who first took him under his wings at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana.

By leading KKR into final, Iyer achieved the rare of feat of playing the summit clash as captain of two different franchises in the IPL. The KKR skipper missed the last season because of a back injury that required a surgery in London last year.

He made a comeback in the Asia Cup and went on to become India’s third leading run-getter after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the last year’s ODI World Cup.

The year didn’t start well for him though as he had a difficult outing in the home Test series against England and looked patchy scoring 140 runs in the first two matches before being left out for the final three Tests.

It was learnt that he developed the recurring back problem, even though he was cleared by the Board medical staff. Iyer then became the centre of a controversy when he missed the Ranji Trophy for his home state Mumbai and went on to attend KKR’s pre-season camp.

Iyer, however, returned to play for Mumbai in the semifinal and final against Vidarbha where he scored a resolute 95 in the second innings of their 42nd Ranji triumph.

The Board omitted him from the Grade B contract and BCCI secretary Jay Shah issued a stern warning asking players not to prioritise IPL over domestic cricket.

Under intense scrutiny, Iyer looked rusty at the start of the IPL and got out for a two-ball duck in their opener against SRH.

He had some significant contributions later on but his efforts were all overshadowed by Narine and Salt’s explosive batting.

Captain cool

However, Iyer personified “Captain Cool” and held the team’s cause ahead of his individual milestones. He went on to become the fourth leading run-getter for KKR this season with 351 runs and two fifties.

His best came against the crucial first qualifier against SRH when he anchored their tricky chase of 160 with an unbeaten 58.

“The way he handled the team as a player is commendable. More than that, he is improving as a leader and the experts in the game are also appreciating his leadership qualities,” Amre said.

“I personally believe success is not an accident he has worked hard for this, handling the team. Yes, he had a good team under him but bringing the best out of everyone is important,” he added.

Kolkata Knight Riders players celebrate with the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 trophy after winning the final match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Cyclone Remal makes landfall; one lakh evacuated in Bengal

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IPL 2024 Final: KKR vs SRH: Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Sunrisers Hyderabad to lift third title

Chasing a meager target of 114, Kolkata Knight Riders batsmen smashed the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers and won the match with 57 balls to spare and lifted their third title in the Indian Premier League 2024 final in Chennai on May 26.

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Jihadis across border supporting SP, Congress: PM Modi in U.P.

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Neta vs abhineta: the Karakat battle pits a veteran politician against a Bhojpuri actor

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Dipa Karmakar becomes first Indian gymnast to win gold in Asian Senior Championships

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When Kolkata Knight Riders paid a record ₹24.75 crore for Mitchell Starc at the player auction last year, not many were convinced it was a wise purchase for a bowler returning to the IPL for the first time since 2015.

On Tuesday, the left-arm pacer justified his price tag and lived up to his reputation as a player for the big stage. Starc’s searing opening spell (4-0-34-3) in the PowerPlay broke the back of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s strong batting line-up as the latter finished with 159 in Qualifier 1 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

That laid the platform for the stunning eight-wicket win as the Knight Riders booked a place in the summit clash in Chennai on Sunday.

The Aussie struck off the second ball of the innings, castling compatriot Travis Head who played an expansive shot off a delivery that swung away.

Starc could have picked up one more in the same over had Sunil Narine held on to Rahul Tripathi’s catch at backward-point when the batter was on four. In the next over, Vaibhav Arora accounted for Abhishek Sharma, who failed to clear the circle and a leaping Andre Russell.

With Starc swinging the ball at a brisk pace, skipper Shreyas Iyer decided to stick with the Aussie in the PowerPlay. And the 34-year-old delivered by producing a double blow in the fifth over. He had Nitish Kumar top-edging a pull and Shahbaz Ahmed playing onto his stumps as SRH slumped to 39 for four after opting to bat.

Just when the Knight Riders were on top, Tripathi (55, 35b, 7×4, 1×6) and Heinrich Klaasen (32, 21b, 3×4, 1×6) fought back for the Men in Orange as they stitched a 62-run stand off 37 balls for the fifth wicket.

Tripathi had a second reprieve on 14 when he survived a close leg-before appeal off Starc — Shreyas did not review the umpire’s decision — and went on to boost his side’s total.

Chasing a modest target, KKR openers Narine and Rahamanullah Gurbaz got their team off to a flier, scoring 63 in the PowerPlay. Then the two Iyers — Venkatesh (51 n.o., 28b, 5×4, 4×6), and Shreyas (58 n.o., 24b, 5×4, 4×6) — unleashed a range of shots during their unbroken 97-run partnership.

Venkatesh gave the charge to the pacers, smashing them down the ground and used his long levers to slog-sweep the spinners for huge sixes on the leg-side. Shreyas completed the job in style, hammering Head for three sixes and a four as KKR cantered home in the 14th over.

SCOREBOARD

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD

Travis Head b Starc 0 (2b), Abhishek Sharma c Russell b Vaibhav 3 (4b), Rahul Tripathi run out 55 (35b, 7×4, 1×6), Nitish Kumar c Gurbaz b Starc 9 (10b, 1×4), Shahbaz Ahmed b Starc 0 (1b), Heinrich Klaasen c Rinku b Varun 32 (21b, 3×4, 1×6), Abdul Samad c Shreyas b Harshit 16 (12b, 2×6), Sanvir Singh (Impact Player for Abhishek) b Narine 0 (1b), Pat Cummins c Gurbaz b Russell 30 (24b, 2×4, 2×6), Bhuvneshwar Kumar lbw b Varun 0 (4b), Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (not out) 7 (5b); Extras (w-5, nb-2): 7; Total (in 19.3 overs): 159.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-0 (Head, 0.2 overs), 2-13 (Abhishek, 1.5), 3-39 (Nitish, 4.5), 4-39 (Shahbaz, 4.6), 5-101 (Klaasen, 10.6), 6-121 (Tripathi, 13.2), 7-121 (Sanvir, 13.3), 8-125 (Samad, 14.4), 9-126 (Bhuvneshwar, 15.6).

KNIGHT RIDERS BOWLING

Starc 4-0-34-3, Vaibhav 2-0-17-1, Harshit 4-0-27-1, Narine 4-0-40-1, Russell 1.3-0-15-1, Varun 4-0-26-2.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

Rahmanullah Gurbaz c Viyaskanth b Natarajan 23 (14b, 2×4, 2×6), Sunil Narine c Viyaskanth b Cummins 21 (16b, 4×4), Venkatesh Iyer (not out) 51 (28b, 5×4, 4×6), Shreyas Iyer (not out) 58 (24b, 5×4, 4×6); Extras (lb-9, w-2): 11; Total (for two wkts. in 13.4 overs): 164.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-44 (Gurbaz, 3.2), 2-67 (Narine, 6.2).

SUNRISERS BOWLING

Bhuvneshwar 3-0-28-0, Cummins 3-0-38-1, Natarajan 3-0-22-1, Viyaskanth 2-0-22-0, Head 1.4-0-32-0, Nitish 1-0-13-0.

Toss: SRH; PoM: Starc.

The main entrance Pavilion entry of the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad shows all four Playoff Captain posters at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on May 20, 2024
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad kicked off their IPL campaign against each other in a high-scoring thriller in which the former prevailed by four runs. The match was a sneak peek into the game style the two outfits would employ this season, prioritising a no-holds-barred approach to batting.

Nearly two months after that game, KKR and SRH — who finished first and second in the group stages, respectively — will square off again in Qualifier-1 of the IPL Playoffs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on May 21.

Two-time champion KKR was the first to qualify for the Playoffs and seal the top-two berth, posting nine wins. The team’s inspired decision to let Sunil Narine open the innings has worked wonders, as the West Indian all-rounder has been at his marauding best. Narine and his opening partner Phil Salt — the top two run-getters for the side — have set the tone by giving blazing starts. It has allowed the middle and lower order the freedom not to hold back.

Even as the batters have hogged the limelight, the bowling attack has been equally effective. The spin duo of Narine (15 wickets, Eco: 6.63) and Varun Chakravarthy (18, 8.34) have led the way, giving crucial breakthroughs while being economical.

The only area of concern for Shreyas Iyer’s men will be Salt’s absence, who has returned to England for national duty. Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz is set to take his place in the line-up but hasn’t played a game this season. KKR’s last two games have been washed out, and it will be interesting to see if the long break—the team last played on May 11—will hurt its momentum.

Meanwhile, Sunrisers sealed a place in the top-two following its four-wicket win over Punjab Kings on Sunday. Like KKR, SRH has also piggybacked on its openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma—who have scored 1000 runs between them—to reach the Playoffs. However, bowling remains a concern for the 2016 champion as it has the second-worst economy rate during the middle and death-overs.

The pitch in Ahmedabad has seen four totals above 200 four times in the last six matches, and Tuesday’s contest promises to be another high-scoring one in the battle between the two most destructive batting units.

Teams:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), KS Bharat (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Glenn Phillips (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Upendra Yadav (wk), Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Sanvir Singh, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen, Akash Maharaj Singh, Mayank Agarwal.

Match starts at 7:30 p.m. IST.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru players celebrate after winning a crucial match against the Chennai Super Kings at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: K BHAGYA PRAKASH

When Royal Challengers Bengaluru went on a five-match winning run after hanging on to its fingernails for much of the season, even its most ardent fans wouldn’t have believed that their team’s stars had aligned.

But, on Saturday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the most definitive proof for it emerged as RCB beat Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs to qualify for the playoffs.

Rain didn’t play spoilsport as it was expected to.

RCB lost the toss and put on a splendid batting show. And even the best efforts of Ravindra Jadeja (42 n.o., 22b, 3×4, 3×6) and M.S. Dhoni (25, 13b, 3×4, 1×6) couldn’t salvage things for CSK.

RCB made 218, effectively setting CSK 201 to qualify. Jadeja and Dhoni took their side from 129 for six after 15 overs to 184 for six after 19. When Dhoni smashed the first ball of Yash Dayal’s last over out of the ground, it appeared as if RCB had contrived to miss out. But Dayal dismissed Dhoni and held his nerve to carry his side through.

CSK, in fact, appeared well placed at 85 for two with Rachin Ravindra (61b, 37b, 5×4, 3×6) and Ajinkya Rahane (33, 22b, 3×4, 1×6) batting. But it slumped to 119 for five as Lockie Ferguson prised out Rahane, Shivam Dube struggled (7, 15b) and Ravindra was run out. Dhoni Jand adeja brought CSK close to the target, but it was not to be.

Earlier, RCB’s PowerPlay (42 runs) was punctuated by a 41-minute rain break and batting on either side seemed like chalk and cheese. The ball gripped and turned after the interruption as Maheesh Theekshana and Mitchell Santner revelled. Only when the length was marginally fuller did the scoreboard tick, with Virat Kohli (47, 29b, 3×4, 4×6) collecting two slog-swept sixes. A third such attempt to hit against the turn, however, cost him.

Rajat Patidar joined skipper Faf du Plessis (54, 39b, 3×4, 3×6) and was quickly off the blocks, smashing Theekshana over long-off and Simarjeet Singh over fine-leg. But an unfortunate run out ended du Plessis’ stay, curtailing an ominous-looking association.

Cameron Green (38 n.o., 17b, 3×4, 3×6) and Patidar (41, 23b, 2×4, 4×6) put on 71 runs from just 28 balls, with Ruturaj Gaikwad even dropping the burly Australian on 18. Cameos from Dinesh Karthik (14, 6b, 1×4, 1×6) and Glenn Maxwell (16, 5b, 2×4, 1×6) gave RCB the cushion which ultimately proved worth of qualification.

High on confidence after making their first playoffs in three years, Sunrisers Hyderabad will aim for a second-place finish in the IPL points table when they take on Punjab Kings in their final league game in Hyderabad on May 19.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Sunrisers Hyderabad, which has already qualified for the playoffs, takes on a depleted Punjab Kings in its last IPL league match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad on May 19 afternoon.

Sunrisers, with 15 points from 13 outings, should look to claim full points against a team which will not have the services of key players like Sam Curran, who led the team in the absence of injured Shikhar Dhawan, and hard-hitting Jonny Bairstow in what should be yet another good IPL wicket if the weather stays clear.

Importantly, the home side played its last game on May 8 when it drubbed Lucknow Super Giants by 10 wickets and with many players taking a long break, it will be interesting to see how quickly they regain the momentum ahead of the playoffs.

Imposing batters

For most of the league so far, Sunrisers relied heavily on the imposing batting line-up. And, to its delight, the senior pro Bhuvneshwar Kumar was back at his best in the last few games, providing the crucial breakthroughs in the company of captain Pat Cummins and left-armers T. Natarajan and Jaydev Unadkat.

On form, it should be an easy outing for the Cummins’ men against PBKS.

On the other hand, Kings’ pacers Arshdeep Singh, and Harshal Patel — who is the leading wicket-taker with 22 wickets in the IPL this season — hold the key in keeping a check on the run-flow with leggie Rahul Chahar expected to raise the bar.

In batting, Kings badly need the likes of Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, captain Jitesh Sharma, and Ashutosh Sharma to score big for the bowlers to have a go.

Teams (from):

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Glenn Phillips (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Upendra Yadav (wk), Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Sanvir Singh, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen, Akash Maharaj Singh, Mayank Agarwal.

Punjab Kings: Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Jitesh Sharma (c & wk), Sikandar Raza, Rishi Dhawan, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Shivam Singh, Harshal Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Shashank Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan, Prince Choudhary, Rilee Rossouw.

Match starts at 3:30pm IST.

Rain clouds hover around the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, during training ahead of the IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in Bengaluru on May 17, 2024
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

Bengaluru’s weather is so notoriously fickle that its tantrums have acquired cult status. On May 18, the city faithful will be praying that it behaves, for a washout against Chennai Super Kings will send their beloved Royal Challengers Bengaluru out.

There is indeed an inglorious tradition of rain affecting at least one RCB home game in an IPL season. An unrelenting summer has ensured that RCB has dodged the bullet six times in the 2024 edition.

However, Saturday’s forecast is for good amounts of precipitation, and it seems like luck may have finally run out.

Scope for hope

There is, of course, the state-of-the-art SubAir drainage system that can get the ground ready in no time. And if the skies relent for two hours, a five-over match is eminently possible. But would five overs do justice to a clash that will be one of the last times Virat Kohli and M.S. Dhoni face-off?

Another variable is the pitch. This season, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been far from the batting paradise it usually is; only twice has the 200-run mark been breached in 12 innings (RCB vs. SRH). But the last time CSK and RCB met in Bengaluru, 444 runs were scored. A repeat is in the hands of the weather gods.

Ground staff covers the field as rain delays the IPL 2024 T20 cricket match between SRH and GT at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad, on May 16, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

If the game of cricket remains tilted heavily in the favour of batters, not many youngsters would be lining up to start bowling in a couple of years, fears spin great Anil Kumble, who advocated the need to keep biggest possible boundaries at IPL venues and use of more pronounced seam to restore the balance between bat and ball.

The score of 250 has been breached as many as eight times this season with shorter boundaries, flat pitches and impact player rule aiding the batting side.

Like the great Sunil Gavaskar, Kumble also feels that keeping the maximum possible boundaries length is need of the hour.

“It’s been really hard on the bowlers, especially the first half of the tournament. I certainly believe that you need to maximize the boundaries at every venue. Try and keep the biggest boundary possible in that venue,” India’s leading wicket taker across formats told select media in an interaction arranged by JioCinema.

“For a start, you could move the dugout into the stands. I know you’ll lose a few seats but so be it. Then the other aspect is to perhaps look at white ball to have slightly more pronounced seam so that there’s a bit more movement.

“We have seen that the ball stops swinging after maybe just the one over or even less than that sometimes. You need a balance between bat and ball. You can’t be running in and just going through the motions where in a couple of years you won’t have too many youngsters lining up to start bowling.

“Everybody wants to be a batter. You need the bowlers also to be a part of this game and the balance is very important. I expect that will also get addressed,” he said.

As per the playing conditions of the IPL, “The playing area shall be a minimum of 150 yards (137.16 metres) from boundary to boundary square of the pitch, with the shorter of the two square boundaries being a minimum 65 yards (59.43m).

“The straight boundary at both ends of the pitch shall be a minimum of 70 yards (64.00 metres). Distances shall be measured from the centre of the pitch to be used. In all cases the aim shall be to provide the largest playing area, subject to no boundary exceeding 85 yards (77.71 metres) from the centre of the pitch to be used.”

Decision to replace Rohit as MI captain was sudden

The call to replace Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya has not worked for Mumbai Indians. Kumble feels that transition could have been completed next season when the mega auctions are due.

“The change that happened was a bit sudden. Obviously Rohit Sharma was a part of Mumbai Indians for the last 10 years and then led the team for five titles. Maybe in hindsight, maybe he could have sort of looked at Rohit to manage this year and then maybe Hardik coming in next year but the leadership obviously took that decision. But having said that, I don’t think they played good cricket,” said Kumble.

Hardik’s former team Gujarat Titans also could not make the play-offs but Kumble praised his successor Shubman Gill for his leadership in first year as captain.

“You can’t really judge (in one season), I thought he was pretty aggressive in his approach when it came to captaincy. He was always looking to take wickets and again for GT unfortunately a couple of injuries didn’t help. Shami was a big miss,” said the former India captain.

Kuldeep will be India’s number one spinner in T20 World Cup

India have picked four spinners in the T20 World Cup squad with Yuzvendra Chahal making a comeback to be the second wrist spin option alongside Kuldeep Yadav. All-rounder Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja also provide spin options.

“I don’t know who will be starting in the first game against Ireland. Kuldeep for sure. I don’t know what the pitch conditions are. I don’t think any Indian team has played in the US other than in Fort Lauderdale. So it all depends on the pitch conditions.

“I guess Kuldeep probably will be the number one spinner in that sense because he’s your wrist spinner. I’m sure there’ll be one wrist spinner who will play,” said Kumble who expects spinners to play a major role in the tournament.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli reacts during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at HPCA Stadium, in Dharamshala on May 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar conjured up superlative fifties before the bowlers joined the party as Royal Challengers Bengaluru kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a huge 60-run win over Punjab Kings in the IPL on May 9.

Kohli’s 47-ball 92 was the cornerstone of RCB’s innings as he starred in two partnerships — 72 off 32 balls with Patidar (55 off 23 balls) and 92 off 46 balls with Cameron Green (46 off 27 balls) to propel the team to 241/7.

In reply, Rilee Rossouw put up a show with a 27-ball 61-run knock but Karn Sharma’s twin strike triggered a collapse as PBKS were all out for 181 in 17 overs.

This was a fourth successive win for RCB and it took them to 10 points, while PBKS (8) were knocked out of the playoff race as they can reach a maximum of 12 points from the remaining two games.

Swapnil Singh (2/28), Karn (2/36) and Lockie Ferguson (2/29) took two each, while Mohammed Siraj (3/43) claimed three wickets for RCB.

Chasing a stiff target, PBKS lost Prabhsimran Singh (6) early but Rossouw looked unstoppable as left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh was carted for two fours before Siraj was belted for three fours and a six.

Yash Dayal and Ferguson were then hit for 16 and 14 runs by Jonny Bairstow (27) and Rossouw as PBKS scored 75 runs in six overs.

Once Bairstow was removed by Ferguson, Rossouw turned his attention on Green, blasting two fours and a six on way to his fifty off 21 balls.

Jitesh Sharma was then cleaned up by Karn, while Swapnil got rid of Liam Livingstone (0) as Punjab slipped to 126 for 5 in 12th over.

They couldn’t recover from those blows and it was all over when Shashank Singh (37), Sam Curran (22) and Ashutosh Sharma (8) returned to the dugout.

Earlier, Kohli, who was dropped on 0 and 10, timed the ball nicely, used his feet and wrists to bring up his sixth IPL fifty this season. He reached his mark in 32 balls, before slamming another 40 in his next 15 balls. He cracked seven fours and six maximums.

Patidar, who was also given two lives, provided the early momentum as he slammed six maximums and three fours during his 23-ball 55.

After Patidar’s dismissal, Kohli and Green continued the onslaught to take RCB past the 200-mark. Green hit five fours and a six before being caught in the final ball as RCB scored 77 in last five overs.

Pacer Vidhwath Kaverappa (2/36) picked up two wickets in the powerplay on his IPL debut but his figures could have been much better had the fielders not dropped three catches off his bowling.

Kohli was dropped in the third ball but Kaverappa dismissed Faf du Plessis (9) and removed Will Jacks (12) but PBKS couldn’t create pressure as Sam Curran (1/50) and Harshal Patel (3/38) leaked runs.

Patel, who had dropped Patidar, conceded three boundaries in his first over as RCB scored 56 in the powerplay.

It started raining sixes thereafter as Kohli and Patidar slammed a maximum each to spoil Kaverappa’s bowling figures.

Patidar then creamed spinner Rahul Chahar for three mighty maximums before depositing Arshdeep and Sam Curran for two more sixes, the last one bringing up his fifty in 21 balls.

With Patidar on fire, RCB crossed 100 in the ninth over. Curran, however, got rid of Patidar in the 10th over, when rain halted play for a brief while.

After resumption, Kohli completed his fifty and hit Livingstone for two fours.

Green brought up the 150 with a four off Patel. Kohli then went berserk as he slog swept Livingstone for a six, while Curran was deposited over mid-wicket for a 94-metre maximum. He sent one over long-on for another maximum.

Dinesh Karthik (18) played a cameo before Patel claimed three wickets in last over.

Yashasvi Jaiswal plays in action during the IPL 2024 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Rajiv International Cricket (Uppal) Stadium in Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Test career is just nine games old but the great Brian Lara feels if there is anyone who can get close to his lofty feats, including the record 400 not out, it is the 22-year-old southpaw from India.

Lara’s high praise for Jaiswal doesn’t come out of the blue. The left two-handers share a special bond, having spent a lot of time over the past year following their “4 am conversation” during the IPL when the West Indian was coaching Sunrisers Hyderabad and the young opener was in the Rajasthan Royals’ camp.

A lot has changed since IPL 2023 with Jaiswal now becoming an integral part of India’s Test and T20 team. His exploits in the longest format stand out as he averages close to 70 with three hundreds including two double tons in the recent home series against England. What has impressed Lara is Jaiswal’s ability to change gears as per the situation of the game.

“If I feel my records are threatened, Jaiswal has got a very good chance to do so. He has got capabilities, couple of double hundreds already. He is that good,” Lara told PTI editors at its headquarters in an interaction arranged by Star Sports where he is a commentator and expert for the ongoing IPL.

Lara, who recently turned 55, is one of the all-time greats of the game having amassed close to 12,000 runs in Tests and over 10,000 runs in ODIs. His record of the highest individual total, 400 not out against England in 2004, still stands tall.

Lara fondly looked back at his first meeting with Jaiswal when asked about a light moment they shared on the sidelines of the Rajasthan Royals and SRH clash in the ongoing season.

“The only thing I can reveal about that (conversation) is I think he is an outstanding young cricketer. what I like about him is that he is very humble and willing to work. The first time I met him (last year), I immediately found myself attached to him.

“After the game (SRH vs Royals), I went to the hotel with a friend of mine from the Caribbean who knew Jos Buttler. It was midnight and Jaiswal found me. I promise you I left the hotel at 4 in the morning.

“He just wanted to hear more and more and more. That is one of his amazing traits. His ability to want to learn as much as possible. Our conversations are about trying to make him a better cricketer. I am available for anyone that has my number. I am happy to talk cricket.”

Being a left-hander himself, it is natural for Lara to be biased towards that tribe. Another southpaw he has great admiration for is Abhishek Sharma with whom he spent time at SRH.

“Again he is someone who I met while I was batting coach of SRH. I spent two years there. I am allowed to a bit biased when I see a left-hander, I just love a left-hander. Myself and Abhishek have developed a very good relationship, these youngsters are very humble. they want to learn.

“What I like about these two, they want to get to great heights. I have great admiration for both.”

The legend from Trinidad reckons that usually records are threatened by batters who score quickly and Jaiswal has that ability along with the hunger to bat long.

His 400 not out has not been surpassed in 20 years and Lara hopes he is still around to see the day when his record is broken.

“I think now, the pace that these guys are batting at. And you look at the guys over the years who have challenged that 300-mark and plus. It’s Chris Gayle. It’s Virender Sehwag. It’s Sanath Jayasuriya, It’s Inzamam-ul-Haq. It’s Matthew Hayden. These are guys who destroy bowling attacks.

“…you would not say that for a Rahul Dravid or Steve Smith in the present case. But a player who likes to score quickly, will have an opportunity. You know, Jaiswal, I mean, I was in Australia when David Warner came close and you know, he’s an aggressive player.

“So I believe yes, I think it will be broken at some point in time. I think it has to be that person’s destiny. Everything has to fall into place. And… I look forward to that time. I hope it happens, while I’m still around,” he said.