Rajasthan Royals prevailed in a superb contest of mental and physical attrition in their campaign opener against the Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
It came down to the wire with some wonderful bowling giving the hosts a winning start.
Sandeep Sharma helped Rajasthan across the finish line with a disciplined effort and a match-tilting breakthrough.
A look at the best bowling performances in the LSG-RR game:
Sandeep Sharma
The stunner who comes in quietly, delivers the goods and goes back into the shade only to return to produce another spell of good bowling match after match.
He did the same on Sunday against LSG.
With LSG chasing 194 for victory, Sandeep was brought into the attack in the 15th over when the visitors looked in control with 65 needed off 6 overs.
K L Rahul and Nicholas Pooran were dictating the flow of the game, but Sandeep came in and gave a mere five runs in his first over.
In his next over he broke the 85 run stand, dismissing the LSG captain for 58. Rahul chased a full and wide ball, and hit it without control, straight into the hands of Dhruv Jurel at sweeper cover.
With 38 needed off the last two overs, Sandeep started the 19th over with a wide but came back with a full ball that Pooran miscued only to get a single. Sandeep then bowled slower, short deliveries and a yorker, giving just 11 runs in the over.
He conceded just 22 runs in his 3 overs while taking Rahul'S crucial wicket. Sandeep used his variations nicely to keep Pooran guessing and LSG short of the target in the end.
Trent Boult
The left-arm pacer is known for getting early breakthroughs and true to character he took out the LSG openers to give Rajasthan a strong start.
After being smacked for a four by Quinton de Kock, luck came Boult's way in the very first over as he bowled one wide down the leg side. De Kock whipped it only to play it straight to Nandre Burger at long leg.
He then struck again in his next over. After he had Devdutt Padikkal hit on the helmet off the first ball of his second over, he sent the batter packing the very next ball. Padikkal attempted to pull a length ball, missed. Stuck in his crease, he lost his middle stump. Padikkal out for a duck leaving LSG at 10 for 2 in just 2.2 overs.
Boult gave away 10 runs in his next over before proving expensive in the end giving 20 runs in his 4th and final over.
Avesh Khan
Avesh was brought into the attack right after the Powerplay. He gave 10 runs in his opening over with Deepak Hooda smacking him for a six over deep mid-wicket.
He was much tidier in his second over, giving away just five singles. He varied his lengths and bowled at around the 135 to 140 kms per hour mark.
He wasn't utilised any more until the final over of the match. Defending a total in the final over is never fun for any bowler and Avesh was under the pump when given the responsibility to defend 27 runs in the final over.
And he did it with style. He bowled a couple of yorkers and a couple of slower deliveries after a miscued yorker that was bowled wide to start the over. He didn't let the first ball error affect him and finished his over calmly, giving away just 6 runs, leaving LSG short by 20 runs.
Naveen-ul-Haq
LSG had their star performer in opening pace bowler Naveen.
For all the pace he possesses, the Afghan bowler also possesses accuracy and skill. He got the first wicket for LSG, taking out Jos Buttler after being tonked for a couple of fours.
He gave just 8 runs in his next over with Yashasvi Jaiswal sending him to the boundary.
With Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag nice settled in and poised for a big finish, Naveen returned in the 15th over to dismiss Parag for 43. He kept his lengths different through the over; Parag hit the short ball over for a six before perishing the next ball.
He came back to bowl the 18th over and he used the bowl wide ploy to good effect. Although he conceded a couple of wides he did well to give just 8 runs in the penultimate over. He finished with 2 for 41 off his four.
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