A controversial end to match 34 didn’t take the shine away from a brilliant performance by RR against DC. A Jos Buttler special took them to the highest score of this year’s IPL before late fireworks from Rovman Powell took DC agonisingly close to the target. Let’s look at some key moments from a cracker of a contest.
Samson’s knockout punch
Sanju Samson might not be piling up runs this season but he’s been extremely impactful for RR. His innings of 46 off 19, which included 20 runs from the last over, propelled the Royals to an above-par score.
This season, Samson has played similar vital knocks for RR. His strike rate of 171.7 has played a crucial role in RR finishing their innings strongly, and he has continued the flow of runs, along with Jos Buttler.
Jos Buttler – Is 974 achievable?
When Virat Kohli scored a mammoth 973 runs in the 2016 edition of the IPL, it looked like a record that will stand against time. However, Jos Buttler is posing a serious threat to Kohli’s record and after the halfway stage, he has already scored 50% of the runs to reach that milestone.
So far this season, Buttler has smashed 491 runs at a scarcely believable average of 81.83. More than his runs, it’s the manner in which they have come. Buttler’s strike rate this season has been 161.51, and his aggressive batting has helped him score three centuries already. Kohli scored four in the 2016 season.
Prasidh Krishna’s rising stocks
DC needed 36 off the last two overs when Prasidh Krishna came on to bowl the penultimate over. With a set Lalit Yadav on strike, DC looked favourites at that stage. However, Krishna outsmarted Yadav, coming round the wicket and keeping the line of the ball away from the batter.
Krishna’s maiden broke the chase and made it almost impossible for DC to make a comeback. His excellent 19th over gave Obed McCoy a cushion of 36 runs, which even though look gettable after the first three balls, eventually were far too many to chase.
RR have looked like one of the most balanced teams this year, and with their current form, they already look favourites to finish in the top four.