Chahal 5-fer, Buttler 100 set up thrilling RR win

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the thirtieth game of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL). The match was played in the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Yuzvendra Chahal was adjudged to be the Man of the Match.

Buttler gleams

Jos Buttler had had a strong start to the season, but he struggled with timing in the opening two overs, scoring three runs off nine balls on a pitch he subsequently characterized as "a little bit sticky at the start." However, he quickly found his stride, smashing Umesh Yadav for consecutive boundaries, teasing Varun Chakravarthy, and slamming Mavi for six over the off side.

After the powerplay, he reached fifty runs from the second ball he faced, and he played with typical self-awareness about his skills and weaknesses: he nudged Sunil Narine into gaps, hitting five runs off the nine balls he faced from him, but he pounded the rest of the attack for 98 runs off 52 balls.

Buttler was helped by Sanju Samson, whose cameo of 38 off 19 balls kept the Royals going after Narine - who was wearing the number '150' on his back to represent his total appearances for Knight Riders - bowled Devdutt Padikkal. Buttler reached his century by slamming Pat Cummins over long-on for six, but he was out two balls later, top-edging a fine-leg pull.

Royals had reverted to a bowling-heavy line-up, with Ravichandran Ashwin carded at No. 7, and threatened to fall away at the back end after Buttler's dismissal. However, Hetmyer ensured they finished well, hitting Andre Russell for consecutive sixes in the final over before carving the last ball of the innings through cover to steer Rajasthan to 217.

Finch and Iyer get off to a strong start

Finch had been struggling severely in Twenty-20 cricket since the start of 2021, averaging 25.19 with a strike rate of 121.33. Despite Sam Billings' recuperation from illness, he held his place in the side, and, after hitting the first ball of the chase to cover, he saw Hetmyer's direct hit run Narine out before his new opening partner had faced a ball.

However, he was at ease against the Royals' spinners, hitting Ashwin for a six on the final ball of the powerplay and thrashing three boundaries in Yuzvendra Chahal's opening over. After a strong start of his own, he stuck into Obed McCoy and Prasidh Krishna, with Shreyas playing second fiddle. The needed rate was a shade over ten an over when Finch skied the final ball of the ninth over to deep-backward point to fall for 58.

Iyer had blasted two fours off Trent Boult's first two deliveries, and then launched Ashwin for sixes with a reverse sweep and a crisp blow down the ground.

After Nitish Rana holed out to long-off and Ashwin's brilliant carrom ball pulled back Andre Russell's off stump, Iyer had a life: he gloved a draw behind off McCoy, which wriggled out of Samson's reach as he dove to his left. He replied by hitting the following two legal deliveries for a six and a four, as well as swiping Boult away for another six, leaving the Knight Riders needing 40 runs off the final four overs.

Sealed by Chahal and McCoy

Venkatesh Iyer had turned down a second run twice, much to Shreyas Iyer's chagrin, and decided to make up by hitting the first ball of Chahal's final over for six. He skipped down the pitch but Samson redeemed himself by stumping the opposition.

Chahal attempted to hide the ball wide outside Shreyas Iyer's off stump after Sheldon Jackson nudged a single and a wide, but then surprised him by throwing one up full and straight. The on-field Leg Before Wicket (LBW) decision was upheld when it touched Shreyas Iyer on the pad.

Due to Cummins' vulnerability against spin, the Knight Riders sent Shivam Mavi in at No. 8. He tried to slug his opening ball for six but holed out to long-on, and Cummins edged his first ball to Samson for Chahal's first hat-trick of the season.

Umesh Yadav gave the tail a twist by belting Trent Boult over long-on for two sixes and then slapping him through cover for four, reducing the equation to 18 off 12 balls. However, neither Krishna nor McCoy let up a boundary, with McCoy's slower balls to Jackson (caught at fine leg) and Yadav (bowled seeking to swing over midwicket) sealing the win.