Images from the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
K L Rahul and Harpreet Brar did the star turn as Punjab Kings stunned Royal Challengers Bangalore, winning their Indian Premier League match in Ahmedabad by 34 runs, on Friday.
Put in to bat, opener Rahul anchored the innings with a 57-ball knock, while Chris Gayle (46 off 24) and Harpreet Brar (25 off 17 balls) made good contribution as Punjab Kings posted a competitive 179 for 5.
Left-arm spinner Brar then produced an exceptional spell, capturing the wickets of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and A B de Villiers to restricte the Royal Challengers to 145 for 8.
Brar was the pick of the Punjab Kings bowlers with figures of 3 for 19, including maiden, in four overs. Ravi Bishnoi took 2 for 17 while Meredith, Shami and Jordan took one each.
Earlier, skipper Rahul scored a magnificent, unbeaten 91 as Punjab Kings fought back after a middle order flop.
The experienced India opener anchored the innings with a 57-ball knock in good partnerships while Gayle and Brar to enable Punjab put up a fighting total, which looked bleak at one stage.
Punjab Kings were reeling at 119 for 5 at the end of the 15th over, but Rahul and Brar put on a 61-run partnership for the sixth wicket off 32 balls to take 60 runs from the last five overs.
Rahul went for broke and hit Harshal Patel for a four off the second delivery of the final over, a six off the next and a four off the fourth to get to 90. He scored just a single before Brar hit a six off the last ball.
22 runs were scored in that last over as Punjab finished with 179 for 5.
Kyle Jamieson, who was mauled by Gayle, did well to finish with figures of 2-32, while Daniel Sams (1-24), Yuzvendra Chahal (1-34) and Shahbaz Ahmed (1-11) did well to restrict the Punjab Kings.
Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss and opted to bowl first. They made just one change, bringing in Shahbaz Ahmed for Washington Sundar.
Punjab Kings made three changes to their squad. Mayank Agarwal, Moises Henriques and Arshdeep Singh were left out and Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar and Riley Meredith included in the playing eleven.
KL Rahul opened with a new partner, Prabhsimran Singh, while Daniel Sams sent down the first over for RCB.
After a rather quite first over from which just three runs came , Rahul hit a six off Mohammed Siraj in the second over as Punjab Kings took 10 runs from it.
RCB brought in right-arm fast bowler Kyle Jamieson for the fourth over and the New Zealander struck with his third delivery, having Prabhsimran caught by Virat Kohli.
The batsman went for the charge early and mistimed the short ball to extra cover, where Kohli took the catch easily.
Prabhsimran was out for 7 off 7 balls and Punjab Kings were 19 for 1 after the third delivery of the third over.
In walked the great Chris Gayle and got going immediately. He hit Jamieson for four successive fours off the first four deliveries of the sixth over before finishing it with another as Punjab Kings took 20 runs from it to get to 49 for 1 after the powerplay. Gayle was on 22 off 8 while Rahul had scored 18 off 21.
A single by Rahul off Harshal Patel brought up the 50-run stand for the second wicket in the eighth over.
The pair continued to attack the RCB bowlers and took Punjab to 90-1 at the half-way mark. Gayle was on 45 off 22 balls and Rahul on 36 off 31.
Rahul then hit Sams for a six off the second delivery of the 11th over before the left-arm fast bower snared the big wicket of Gayle and ended an 80-run stand for the second wicket.
The West Indian hooked a short ball down leg side and was caught by A B de Villiers after a blazing 46 off 24 balls, which included 6 fours and 2 sixes. Punjab Kings were 99 for 2 in the 11th over.
Rahul then brought up his 50 in the 12th over off the second delivery from Jamieson. But disaster struck. Nicholas Pooran, the new man in, lasted just three deliveries. Jamieson dug one short and Pooran, surprised by the bounce, edged an easy catch to Shahbaz Khan at backward point. The West Indian batsman picked his fourth duck in his last six innings and Punjab Kings were 109 for 3 after 12 overs.
Deepak Hooda (5) was next at the crease, but he too did not last long. He tried to sweep the last delivery of the 14th over from Shahbaz Ahmed over square leg but did not connect well. Rajat Patidar did well to run in and take the catch at deep backward square.
Wickets continued to fall as Shahrukh Khan was deceived by a googly from Yuzvendra Chahal and bowled for a duck.
Punjab Kings were 119-5 at the end of the 15th over, with Rahul batting on 56 off 42.
Harpreet Brar, who came in at the fall off Hooda, hit a four and a six off successive deliveries from Harshal and Rahul scored a four as Punjab got 18 runs from the 18th over to get to 150 for 5.
Only seven runs came from the penultimate over, bowled by Siraj.
Rahul then went for broke and hit Harshal for a four off the second delivery of the final over, a six off the next and a four off the fourth to get to 90. He scored just a single before Brar hit a six off the last ball. 22 runs came off that last over as Punjab finished with 179 for 5.
The two put on a 61-run partnership for the sixth wicket off 32 balls, as 60 runs were scored in the last five overs.
Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal opened the batting for Royal Challengers Bangalore while Riley Meredith sent down Punjab Kings' the first over.
The pair put on 19 runs before Meredith bowled Padikkal with the third delivery of his second over. The batsman came down the track, made room for a big shot but was beaten by the pace and had his off-stump rattled. Padikkal was out for 7 off 6 balls, which included a six, and RCB were 19-1 in the third.
Rajat Patidar, the new batsman in, and Kohli took RCB to 36 for 1 from the powerplay overs and 62-1 at the half-way stage before Harpreet Brar ended the 43-run partnership off 46 balls with the first delivery of his third over by dismissing Kohli.
With runs not coming easily, Kohli went down the pitch, swung and saw the ball sneak through and dislodge leg-stump. It was Brar's maiden IPL wicket as Kohli was out for 35 off 34,which included 3 fours and a six.
It got better for Brar, and Punjab, when he dismissed Glenn Maxwell with his next delivery.
The Aussie batsman went back in his crease to defend and watched as ball turned and hit off-stump. Maxwell was out for a duck and RCB 62 for 2 in the 11th over.
RCB's hopes now lay in the hands of AB de Villiers, who played out the next four deliveries as Brar got a maiden over. His figures at that stage read 3-1-17-2.
The left-arm spinner then returned to bowl his fourth over and picked his third wicket, having de Villiers caught by Rahul short cover. De Villiers was out for 3 off 9 balls and RCB were in a spot at 71-4 after 13.
The Royal Challengers continued to lose their way as Chris Jordan had Rajat Patidar caught by Nicholas Pooran. The batsman went for a big one, miscued and was aught at long-on.
Patidar was out for 31 off 30, including 2 fours and a six as RCB were reduced to 91 for 5 in the 15th.
Ravi Bishnoi returned to to the attack for his fourth over and sent back Shahbaz Ahmed, who miscued the ball to deep mid-wicket and Brar took the offering. RCB were 96 for 6 in the 16th.
Bishnoi picked his second wicket, dismissing Daniel Sams bowled with the next delivery. Harshal Patel defended the last ball of the over to deny him a hat-trick.
With 84 off 24 needed from the last four overs, Harshal and Jamieson made a strong bid to chase down the runs, but couldn't.
Harshal was out after scoring 31 off 13 while 16 off 11 as Punjab Kings won by 34 runs.
- IPL 2021
