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Turning Point: Livingstone, Raza slay Kings!

May 01, 2023 08:47 IST

IMAGE: Sikandar Raza celebrates with team-mate Rahul Chahar after hitting the winning runs for Punjab Kings against CSK on Sunday. Photograph: BCCI

It was a complete team performance by Punjab Kings' batting unit, who got the better of Chennai Super Kings in their own backyard, with a sensational run chase -- stealing victory off the last ball of the match.

Chasing 201 for victory, Punjab started in the right earnest courtesy captain Shikhar Dhawan, who hit 28 from 15 balls, as the visitors raced past the 50-run mark in the fifth over.

The young Prabhsimran Singh, brought in as the Impact Player, rallied Punjab after the dismissal of Dhawan with a quickfire 42 from 24 balls.

 

However, his dismissal in the ninth over by Ravindra Jadeja left Punjab in a spot of bother as Liam Livingstone has been struggling for runs in IPL 2023.

Livingstone decided to counter-attack, which not only saw Punjab maintain the momentum, but also got his confidence back. He stepped out to pacer Akash Singh to loft him over the covers for a six in the 10th over.

IMAGE: Sikandar Raza and Shahrukh Khan took three runs off the final ball of the match to take Punjab Kings to victory. Photograph: BCCI

But CSK did well to keep things tight in the middle overs as Punjab managed just 35 runs in five overs from the 11th to the 15th over.

The home team looked in control as Punjab faced a stiff task of scoring 72 runs in the last five at an asking rate of more than 14.

But Livingstone turned the Punjab innings on its head in the matter of just one over. He took pacer Tushar Deshpande to the cleaners with three sixes in the 16th over, which went for 24 runs.

Even though Livingstone was dismissed for 40 from 24 balls in the same over, the momentum had shifted to Punjab and there was no looking back as they matched CSK blow for blow in the last few overs.

Jadeja, who had taken 2/15 in his first three overs, was smashed for 17 runs in the 17th over with Jitesh Kumar and Sam Curran hitting him for a six each.

IMAGE: Liam Livingstone hits out. Photograph: BCCI

Deshpande bowled an expensive 19th over, conceding 13, to make Punjab's task easier. Needing nine from the last over, the experienced Raza didn't flinch. He kept his cool in the pressure situation as pacer Matheesha Pathirana kept bowling yorker after yorker.

Punjab needed 7 from 3 balls as Raza couldn't make proper connection with the heave but scampered across for a couple of runs and bagged two more runs off the next to square leg.

Punjab needed three off the final delivery and as Pathirana missed ever so slightly with his length Raza was able to clip the full delivery past Mahesh Theekshana at square leg, who dived and prevented the ball from going for a four but the Punjab duo of Raza and Shahrukh Khan ran for their lives to clinch three and script a famous win for their team.

HARISH KOTIAN