Rajasthan Royals outwitted Lucknow Super Kings by three runs in an IPL game on Sunday with some lusty hitting in the death overs, smart tactical moves and an impressive bowling effort. Invited to bat, star West Indies batter Hetmyer smashed an unbeaten 36-ball 59 to lift RR from 67 for four to 165 for six in 20 overs.
Trent Boult (2/30) then struck twice in a sensational opening over, while Chahal (4/41) picked up four wickets to achieve the feat of claiming 150 IPL victims but Marcus Stoinis blasted two fours and four maximums in his unbeaten 38 off 17 balls .
But Kuldeep Sen, making his IPL debut, showed great nerves as he defended 15 runs in the last over as RR limited LSG to 162 for eight.
With this win, RR bounced back from their four wicket loss to RCB in the last match to take the top position in the IPL standings, while LSG slipped to fifth spot.
With 10 balls to complete the innings and Hetmyer on the offensive, RR made what could prove to be a pioneering tactic in T20 cricket, with R Ashwin (28—23b) racing back to the pavilion retired out, to offer the more powerful striker Riyan Parag an opportunity to leave an impact. Parag got a 4-ball 8 including a six off the final over bowled by Holder. “I literally had no idea. I just saw him going off. It came off for us because Riyan got a six,” Hetmyer said at the innings break.
