Twitter Reactions: Ambati Rayudu’s brilliant knock in vain as Punjab hold nerves to beat Chennai by 11 runs

 Twitter Reactions: Ambati Rayudu’s brilliant knock in vain as Punjab hold nerves to beat Chennai by 11 runs

Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings (Image Credit : BCCI/IPL)

Punjab and Chennai locked horns in the 38th game of the Indian T20 League 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The defending champions won the toss and elected to bowl first. The decision was surprising given the way pitch behaved in the game between Lucknow and Mumbai on previous night. Meanwhile, the 2014 finalists came out with an intent of improved batting performance in this game.

Openers Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Mayank Agarwal started the innings steadily as they stitched a partnership of 37 runs in 5.5 overs. During the partnership, only two fours and a six was hit before Agarwal (18). who was trying to play a front foot cut shot, was caught by Shivam Dube at point off Maheesh Theekshana. At this stage, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who warmed the bench in the last few games, came out to bat.

Rajapaksa and Dhawan stitched a partnership of 110 runs for the second wicket. The Sri Lankan scored 42 off 32 balls including two fours and as many sixes before he was caught at long-off by Dube off Dwayne Bravo. Liam Livingstone hit two sixes and four for his cameo of 19. On the other hand, Dhawan finished on 88 not out off 59 balls and the team amassed 187/4 at the end of the innings.

In reply, the Yellow Brigade had a poor start as Robin Uthappa (1) was caught at midwicket by Rishi Dhawan off Sandeep Sharma in the second over of the chase. Mitchell Santner (9), who struggled in his 15-ball stay, lost his leg-stump as he went too far across while facing Arshdeep Singh. Dube (8), who scored a half-century when both sides met each other last time in this season, got played on facing Rishi Dhawan, with the scorecard reading 40/3 in seven overs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad (30) and Ambati Rayadu stitched a partnership of 49 runs before the former was caught at mid-off by Agarwal off Kagiso Rabada. Rayudu played a gem of an innings off 78 off 39 with seven fours and six sixes before he was clean bowled by a yorker from Rabada with the score reading 153/5. Rayudu had brought Chennai back in the game out of nowhere but his wicket meant that Chennai had a tough task of chasing 35 in 13 balls. The team failed to do so as they went down by 11 runs. This was their sixth defeat in the season.

This is how Twitter reacted

https://twitter.com/WisdenIndia/status/1518651222856667136?s=20&t=u3bMD–3dfRjyWBuVaXKtg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven

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