Hindustan Times: True to this season’s style, it was another match that kept going back and forth but eventually, Sanju Samson’s team got the job done. With R Ashwin sidelined due to back spasms, RR conceded a total of 187/5 after opting to bowl first. In reply, they rode on key contributions from Yashasvi Jaiswal (50 off 36), Devdutt Padikkal (51 off 30) and Shimron Hetmyer (46 off 28) to finish with 189/6 in 19.4 overs.
Rajasthan will now have an eye on RCB, MI and KKR’s last league games and hope for a superior net run-rate in the end to qualify.
The Royals suffered a big setback early in the chase as Kagiso Rabada trapped Jos Buttler in front. With this third consecutive duck, the English opener became the first-ever player to register five ducks in an IPL season.
Padikkal, in at No. 3, was impressive and along with Jaiswal, put RR on course with a 73-run partnership that was studded with some classy strokeplay.
However, Punjab would’ve felt they were in the game as Sanju Samson fell cheaply and Rajasthan were left needing 97 runs off 51 balls. And to Punjab’s credit, they did do well to take the contest to the last over. But Rajasthan got a quick-fire cameo from Riyan Parag (20 off 12) before Dhruv Jurel (10* off 4) finished the match with two balls to spare.