PICS: Samson, Tewatia excel as Royals slay Kings in thriller

Images from Sunday's IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals, in Sharjah. 

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IMAGE: Sanju Samson did the star turn for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 85 off 42 balls in Sunday’s IPL match against Kings XI Punjab, in Sharjah. Photograph: BCCI/IPL

Former champions Rajasthan Royals pulled off an unbelievable chase to overcome Kings XI Punjab in a high-scoring Indian Premier League match, in Sharjah, on Sunday.

Chasing an imposing 224 for victory, Rajasthan Royals got it right in the death overs after fine knocks by Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Rahul Tewatia and Jofra Archer's two sixes at the start of the 19th over to win by three wickets and three balls to spare and register the highest run-chase in the history of IPL.

Smith (50 off 27 balls, including 2 sixes and 7 fours) and Samson (85 off 42, including 7 sixes 4 fours) laid the ground before Tewatia hammered 53 off 31, including 7 sixes, to take the Royals home.

Star England batsman Jos Buttler (4), who missed Rajasthan Royals's first match as he was in quarantine, lasted just seven runs, with Cotrell dismissing him in the third over.

Tewatia smashed five sixes in the 18th over off Sheldon Cottrell to turn the match on its head.

Initially, Tewatia struggled to connect the ball after being pushed up the order ahead of the likes of Robin Uthappa, but he suddenly changed gears, hoisting Cottrell for a series of sixes much to the amazement of his team-mates and opposition players. He was finally out to the last ball of the 19th over.

After that Archer (13 not out) and Tom Curran (4 not out) took the Royals home, the latter hitting the winning runs with a four off the first delivery he faced from Murugan Ashwin in the last over.

Mohammed Shami was the best of the Kings bowlers with figures of 3 for 53. 

Earlier, Mayank Agarwal smashed a scintillating 50-ball 106 and skipper K L Rahul scored a 54-ball 69 to power Kings XI Punjab to 223 for 2.

The duo took apart the Royals bowlers, who were also wayward in line and length, as they shared a massive 183-run opening stand off 99 balls. The partnership is the highest for any wicket so far this season.

They fell just short of the record for the highest opening wicket partnership in IPL history by a mere two runs when Agarwal was out in the 17th over after hitting 10 fours and seven sixes during his magnificent 50-ball knock.

Nicolas Pooran (25 off 8) and Glenn Maxwell (13 off 9) then provided the late charge to give Kings XI a substantial total.

Put in to bat, Mayank knocked the daylight out of the Rajasthan attack, while Rahul had seven hits to the fence and one maximum in his innings.

Rahul was content playing second fiddle to Agarwal though the KXIP captain also played some brilliant shots during his 54-ball knock, studded with seven fours and a six, continuing his rich vein of form after his 132 not out against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Agarwal surged ahead of his captain, reaching his fifty (from 26 balls) in style with a six off Shreyas Gopal and followed it up with another maximum to bring up Kings XI's 100 in the ninth over.

Kings XI were 110 at the half-way stage.

Pacer Ankit Rajpoot (1/39) was the Rajasthan bowler to go for under 10 runs an over.

Tom Curran (1/44) accounted for the other wicket to fall.

Earlier, Rajasthan made two changes, bringing in Jos Buttler and Ankit Rajpoot in place of Yash Jaiswal and David Miller, while Kings XI Punjab fielded the same playing eleven that trounced Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday.