The IPL had a pretty exciting debut in Guwahati as hosts Rajasthan Royals were beaten in a five-run thriller by Punjab Kings on Wednesday, April 5. A huge crowd had turned out at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium to cheer the hosts—Rajasthan Royals, on, but there was considerable support for Punjab Kings. Shikhar Dhawan and young Prabhsimran Singh’s blazing knocks helped Punjab Kings score 197/4 on a pitch which had a lot of help for the batters. The young Prabhsimran once again impressed one and all with his ability to play eye-catching and remarkable shots in the first six overs, which saw Punjab Kings accumulate 90-odd runs at the halfway mark. His departure slowed things down a bit as Dhawan was initially taking his time to get going. Punjab Kings were dealt with a further blow after Bhanuka Rajapaksa was retired hurt after a shot from Dhawan hit him straight on his arm. Ravi Ashwin 'Warns' Shikhar Dhawan for ‘Mankad Run Out’, Camera Captures Jos Buttler’s Reaction During RR vs PBKS IPL 2023 Match (Watch Video).

But Jitesh Sharma showed that Punjab’s firepower had not died out yet with a brilliant 27 off 16 balls. Dhawan eventually broke the shackles and played unconventional shots to ensure his team finished with a handsome 197/4. In response, fans at the stadium and those watching from home were surprised to see Ravichandran Ashwin open the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal and it was learnt that Jos Buttler had injured himself while fielding. That ploy failed as Ashwin departed for a four-ball duck and Rajasthan Royals found tough scoring consistently. Nathan Ellis delivered the body blow when he dismissed Jos Buttler (19) and Rajasthan’s in-form captain Sanju Samson (42), which brought Punjab Kings back ahead. Devdutt Paddikal struggled for his 26-ball 21 before Ellis cleaned him up. However, it was the 61-run partnership off just 26 balls between Impact Player Dhruv Jurel (32*) and Shimron Hetmyer (36), which brought Rajasthan close to the total but they eventually fell short by just five runs. IPL 2023 Points Table Updated With Net Run Rate.

RR vs PBKS Stat Highlights

#Barsapara Cricket Stadium hosted its first-ever IPL match.

#Yuzvendra Chahal became second highest wicket-taker in IPL history, going past Lasith Malinga. Chahal now has 171, second to Dwayne Bravo with 183.

#Shikhar Dhawan scored his 48th IPL fifty.

#It was also the 50th time Dhawan scored 50+ runs in an innings in the IPL. He is now the third player to do it after Virat Kohli and David Warner.

#Prabhsimran Singh scored his 1st IPL fifty.

#Ravichandran Ashwin opened an innings in the IPL for the first time since 2013.

With two wins on the trot, Punjab Kings will be gearing up for their next opponents in the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad, on April 9. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals will seek to bounce back from this defeat when they face Delhi Capitals on April 8.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 06, 2023 01:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).