Rahul Tewatia
Rahul Tewatia Smashed 5 Sixes In An Over At Sharjah. (Credits: IPLT20)

Last Update on: September 27th, 2020 at 11:29 pm

Rajasthan Royals [RR] have scripted history as they notched up the highest-ever run-chase in the history of the IPL thanks to whirlwind knocks from Sanju Samson and Steve Smith and an outrageous counter-attack by Rahul Tewatia at the backend to claim a four-wicket win over KXIP.

Chasing 224, Rajasthan Royals were dealt with a body blow when Jos Buttler whipped Sheldon Cottrell to Sarfaraz Khan, who took a brilliant catch at square-leg.

But the duo of Steve Smith and Sanju Samson went on to emulate their rollicking stand against CSK, to give RR afloat in the run-chase.

Sanju Samson announced his arrival to the crease with a disdainful front-foot pull and then a straight six down the ground off Cottrell while Steve Smith played some delightful strokes during his 27-ball 50 as they ensured that the Royals scored 69 runs in the first powerplay.

Samson continued his onslaught against Ravi Bishnoi and Murugan Ashwin, stoking his trademark sixes down the ground.

https://twitter.com/crickcosmos/status/1310257947738402816?s=19

The moment of the day came in the 8th over when Nicholas Pooran affected possiblly the greatest fielding saves of all time to deny Samson another six. Pooran dived full length in an attempt to take an impossible catch at deep mid-wicket, only to flck the ball back into play at the last moment.

RR, KXIP
Sanju Samson [Photo-Twitter]
Steve Smith was eventually dismissed after he mistimed one straight to Shami at deep-cover. RR promoted Rahul Tewatia ahead of Uthappa but the move backfired as he struggled to get going, scoring just 7 runs in his first 16 balls.

RR managed just 32 runs in the next 5 overs as the asking run-rate soared past 16. With 84 need of the last 30, Sanju Samson smashed Maxwell for three sixes before Mohammed Shami dismissed the right-hander in the very next over. Rahul Tewatia had struggled his way in his first 19 balls [he scored just 8] but the southpaw pulled off one of the most sensational comebacks you’ll ever see as see thumped Cottrell for five sixes in the next over to silence all his critics.

Such was Tewatia’s onslaught that KXIP completely lost the plots as Jofra Archer and he smashed Mohammed Shami for three more sixes in the 19th over to bring the equation down to 2 off 7 balls. Rahul Tewatia was eventually dismissed for a 31-ball 53- his last 45 runs came in just 12 balls] but not before he set RR on their way to the highest successful run-chase in IPL history.

Also Read- Watch: Commentators In Shock As Nicholas Pooran Pulls Off Unbelievable Save

A 183-run-stand between centurion Mayank Agarwal and half-centurion KL Rahul propelled KXIP to 223 against RR

KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal got KXIP to a rollicking start. While Agarwal laid into Javdev Unadkat and Ankit Rajoot with disdainful shots, KL Rahul was sublime in his strokeplay, creaming Jofra Archer for three consecutive sumptuous drives, as KXIP raced past the 50-run mark in the 5th over.

Rajpoot was poor in his line and lengths and he made matters worse for himself as he overstepped the popping crease, only for KL Rahul to cash-in on the free-hit.

With the openers going great guns, Steve Smith turned to his spin-bowling duo but that didn’t have any affect on Mayank, who smoked Tewatia for back-to-back sixes and a boundary in the 8th over to take the score to 0-86.

The right-handed opener brought his 2nd IPL 2020 fifty with an inside-out six off Shreyas Gopal and the celebrated it by going downtown for yet another six to bring up KXIP’s hundred as he and Rahul became the first opening pair to rack up a 100+ stand in the 2020 IPL.

Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul
Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (Credits: IPLT20)

Records continued to tumble in Sharjah as the duo went past Steve Smith and Samson to register the highest parternship in IPL 2020. While Mayank was smoking them out of the ground, Rahul was displaying his silken touch, creaming boundaries for fun as he brought up his 2nd half-century of the tournament in the 12th over.


The moment that Mayank Agarwal had been waiting for finally came in the 15th over as he hit Shreyas Gopal for another boundary to not only bring up his maiden IPL hundred but in doing so, he also become the second-fastest Indian to do so [in 45 balls just behind Yusuf Pathan, who had scored in 37 balls against MI in 2010].

His innings and his partnership finally came to an end in the 17th over as the right-hander finally mistimes one straight to Sanju Samson at deep mid-wicket, but not before he and Rahul had notched up the third-highest opening stand in IPL history.

KL Rahul soon perished at a 54-ball 69 but Glenn Maxwell (13 off 9) and Nicholas Pooran (25 off 8) ensured that Kings XI Punjab finished at 2-223 in 20 overs.

 

Here’s how Twitter reacted to RR’s record IPL win over KXIP-

https://twitter.com/NeelBall/status/1310274134291566593

https://twitter.com/LiberalWho_/status/1310240211671154688?s=19

https://twitter.com/FarziCricketer/status/1310225177817411585?s=19

https://twitter.com/ShoaibJii/status/1310226825012899841?s=19

https://twitter.com/jatin_kumar13/status/1310226719832375297?s=19

https://twitter.com/PratikJawanja17/status/1310221981157978112?s=19

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