Punjab Kings edged Lucknow Super Giants in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Lucknow on Saturday, a win that took PBKS to fourth spot in the points table.
Chasing 160 was never going to be easy for Punjab, with frequent hiccups along the way, but Raza (57) and Shahrukh Khan (23*) made light work of the chase in a match that could have gone either way.
Let’s now take a look at some top moments from the game.
KL Rahul scores first fifty of the season
Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul finally registered his first half-century of the season against Punjab Kings on Saturday.
Rahul was coming into the game, failing to convert starts in each of his previous innings, but on Saturday, it was Rahul’s time to shine with the bat.
Rahul finished with 74 off 56 balls, amassing eight fours and a six in the innings.
During the knock, Rahul also became the fastest batter to 4000 IPL runs, surpassing West Indian Chris Gayle in the process. Rahul took 105 innings to reach the milestone, while Gayle had taken 112 innings.
Impactful Sam Curran
Sam Curran was given the extra responsibility to lead Punjab Kings in the absence of injured Shikhar Dhawan, and still he delivered with the ball for PBKS. Curran finished with figures of 3/31, with two of his wickets coming in the final over of the innings.
Curran first removed Marcus Stoinis in the 18th over, before removing Impact Player Krishnappa Gowtham and Yudhvir Singh Charak in the final over.
Yudhvir Singh Charak shines
A dream debut is what any athlete wishes for, and 25-year-old LSG pacer Yudhvir Singh Charak had a dream debut on Saturday, removing openers Atharva Taide and Prabhsimran Singh in a space of two overs.
While he saw off Taide in the third ball of the first over, with Taide getting a top edge off the bat en route to third man Mark Wood, Yudhvir cleaned up Prabhsimran in the second ball of the third over.
Prabhsimran was looking to play the drive, but the ball went through the gap between bat and pad to beat the off-stump.
Sikandar Raza scores maiden fifty
Coming into bat at number five, Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza had his task cut out, and he could not have asked for a much better platform to get to his maiden IPL fifty.
Raza came into bat with Punjab Kings; score reading 45/3 in the sixth over, and he played a knock of —to help PBKS cross the finish line.
Raza was also involved in two 30-plus stands with Harpreet Singh and Sam Curran.
Raza had got to his fify in 34 deliveries, hitting three fours and as many sixes to reach the milestone.
Shahrukh Khan takes PBKS over the finish line
It was a far from perfect chase for Punjab Kings, and while due credit goes to Raza for scripting the chase, Shahrukh Khan’s knock too proved vital for Punjab.
SRK played a vital cameo, scoring an unbeaten 23 off just 10 balls to take PBKS over the finish line with three balls to spare.
Shahrukh came in the 16th over following the wicket of Jitesh Sharma, with PBKS’ score reading 122/6.
Shahrukh was involved in three small but crucial stands with Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Brar and Kagiso Rabada, and eventually, the 27-year-old hit the winning runs in the final over, courtesy a boundary.
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