PBKS vs RR: Top 5 best performances from the match

It was match 27 where the Punjab Kings(PBKS) hosted the Rajasthan Royals(RR) at Chandigarh. This was set to be another fierce rivalry between the two sides. It was Sanju Samson and his boys who won the toss and chose to bowl. The Royals were on top in this encounter with the ball where all the bowlers chipped in with wickets and made sure the Kings were restricted to 147 on what looked like a great wicket to bat on. There was a need for a great bowling performance from PBKS bowlers to make sure they defended this total.

The second innings had started with openers Tanush Kotian and Yashasavi Jaiswal giving a slightly slow, but solid start to the Royals. It looked like the Rajasthan Royals would easily chase this down but the Punjab Kings had other ideas in store and got back into the match with early wickets in the middle. The match went down to the last over with 10 runs to win. It was finally the Royals who got the last laugh. There have been some great performances to look forward to in this match which we will be talking about as well.

So, here are the top 5 performances of the match:

5. Ashutosh Sharma: 31 from 16 deliveries

There was a period in the Punjab Kings innings that a score of 130 was looking difficult as well. The quickfire 31 from 16 deliveries is what the Kings needed to get back in the match and get to a defendable total of 147. Ashutosh was striking at over 190 and gave the bowlers a chance to come back in a game that was going the Royal way at first. This was one of the crucial innings the Punjab Kings needed.

4. Sam Curran: 2/25 in 4 overs

The stand-in captain for the Punjab Kings made up for his failure with the bat with an impressive spell of bowling. He was one of the bowlers who got the Kings into the game. Curran bowled a crucial 19th over which went for 10 runs and got two wickets. We can still say this was a great performance from the skipper in a game where his team was really under pressure. This is a perfect example of why the English all-rounder is one of the most important players for the team in this ongoing tournament.

3. Kagiso Rabada: 2/18 in 4 overs

The other player from the PBKS side that we have to give props to is Kagiso Rabada. The pacer's spell made a massive difference to his team who were looking down and out. Rabada went for just 18 in his 4 overs and got the crucial wickets of the left-handed Yashasvi Jaiswal and RR skipper Sanju Samson. This was the game-changing spell from the South African pacer, who got his team out of trouble and was the pick of the bowlers in his side.

2. Keshava Maharaj: 2/23 in 4 overs

Let's go from one South African to another and this time it was RR’s left-arm spinner Keshava Maharaj in the mix. He was the best bowler in the team who kept things tight and took crucial wickets of the swashbuckling Jonny Bairstow and skipper Sam Curran. Maharaj ended with figures of 2 for 23 in 4 overs and turned out to be the best replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin in the playing XI for the Royals. His spell also played a crucial role in restricting the Kings to a score under 150.

1. Shimron Hetmyer: 27 from 10 deliveries

This was the night that meant more than any big score in T20s. Shimron Hetmyer came at the time when the Royals were in a lot of trouble in the game. His 27 from just 10 deliveries at a strike rate of 270 was the match-winning innings everyone needed. This is the time the explosive batter from Guyana was at his absolute best where he was able to play the big shots when his team needed it. With this, he has shown his ability to finish the innings down the order and win big games for his side. This innings might have lasted only 10 balls, but it was perhaps the best innings of the match for which Hetmyer was also adjudged the player of the match.