Hetmyer Heroics Seal Last-Ball Win for Rajasthan Royals Over Punjab Kings

Early on in the match in Mullanpur on Saturday, the Rajasthan Royals batsmen nearly undid the excellent work of their bowlers. With one ball remaining, Shimron Hetmyer (27 not out off 10 balls) helped the Royals defeat the Punjab Kings by taking three wickets. He did this by remaining composed and unleashing his signature heavy punches.

Earlier, Punjab, who were without their normal captain Shikhar Dhawan (out with a niggle), managed to post 147/8 after they were sent in thanks in part to Ashutosh Sharma's (31 off 16 balls) late strikes.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tanush Kotian's 56-run partnership in eight overs put the Royals in charge despite the challenging and fast-paced Mullanpur surface that made strokeplay rather challenging. A niggle had also forced the Royals to make changes to their opening combination, as off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Jos Buttler were ruled out.

But, Punjab was forced back into the match by Kagiso Rabada's session, which displayed his skill as he first removed Jaiswal and then trapped captain Sanju Samson leg before wicket. Before Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel, two of the team's best players, were dismissed, the Royals were starting to feel a little squeezed.

 Keshav Maharaj of the Rajasthan Royals celebrates taking out Jonny Bairstow for his first-ever IPL wicket on Saturday. 
Keshav Maharaj of the Rajasthan Royals celebrates taking out Jonny Bairstow for his first-ever IPL wicket on Saturday.
PTI
At that point, Hetmyer assumed command. The left-hander from the West Indies hit Harshal Patel for a six when he had to make 26 from 13 balls. His Windies teammate Rovman Powell hit two consecutive boundaries off Sam Curran in the penultimate over, but the England all-rounder responded to remove both Curran and Keshav Maharaj.

When 10 runs were needed in the last over, Arshdeep Singh used his yorkers skillfully to silence Hetmyer in the first two balls. Hetmyer was under almost double the pressure, but Arshdeep made a mistake in his lengths and ended up hitting a six, taking a couple, and then hitting another maximum to help the Royals secure their first-place finish.

Maharaj (2/23), a left-arm spinner from South Africa, deserves some recognition for his performance, which effectively shut down Punjab's batsmen in the first half.

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