Rajasthan Royals (RR), led by Sanju Samson and skipper Steve Smith, chased down 224 for victory against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), pulling off the highest successful run chase in the tournament’s history. KXIP scored 223/2 in 20 overs, with their openers K.L. Rahul (69) and Mayank Agarwal (106) having put on a record-breaking opening partnership. They brought up the first century opening stand of the season in the 9th over. They crossed the record for KXIP’s highest ever opening stand — 136 by Adam Gilchrist and Paul Valthaty against Deccan Chargers in 2011 — in the 12th over.
Mayank brought up his 100, his first in the IPL, off 45 balls, in the 15th over. He was dismissed for 106 off 50 balls in the 17th over. Rahul followed in the 18th over. Steve Smith (50) and Sanju Samson (85) got the chase off to a cracking start, as the highest Powerplay score of the season was bettered twice in one day. Rajasthan Royals’ 100 came up in the 9th over, but Smith departed soon after. When Samson fell in the 17th over, it seemed the game was lost for Rajasthan.
But Rahul Tewatia (53) had other ideas, smashing Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in the 18th over as RR clinched the match in a dramatic last over with four wickets and three balls left. Earlier, a maiden century from Mayank Agarwal and his epic 183-run opening stand with captain K.L. Rahul helped Kings XI Punjab score 223/2 batting first against Rajasthan Royals at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Mayank scored 106 from 50 balls, his innings punctuated by as many seven sixes and 10 fours. Rahul, on the other hand, scored 69 off 54, smashing seven fours and one six.
The partnership that the pair shared is the highest opening stand ever for KXIP and the second highest overall for the team, behind the mammoth 206 put up by Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh for the second wicket against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011. It is also the third highest opening partnership of all time in the IPL. The stand was broken when Mayank holed out at deep midwicket off Tom Curran in the 17th over. Rahul went in the next over, falling to Ankit Rajpoot. Glenn Maxwell and Nicholas Pooran then took KXIP over the 200-run mark with the latter smashing 25 runs in eight balls.
