Yajuvendra Chahal, Boult shine as Rajasthan to beat Lucknow Super Kings

Mumbai, April 10: Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and seamer Trent Boult shared 6 wickets as Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 3 runs in an IPL match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Shimron Hetmyer’s berserk knock of 59 not out dragged RR to 165/6. In reply, LSG were restricted to 162/8. With 14 runs needed off the final over, RR skipper Sanju Samson handed the ball to Kuldeep Sen. Avesh Khan (7 not out) took a single to give strike to Marcus Stoinis (38 not out off 17). However, Sen bowled three brilliant dot balls to close the door on LSG’s face. Stoinis did hit one boundary and one maximum but it was inconsequential and LSG fell short by a whisker. LSG had a horrendous start to their 166-run chase as they lost their skipper KL Rahul and Krishnappa Gowtham on ducks each. Boult (2/30) bowled Rahul on the very first delivery of the second innings. The fast bowler picked another as he trapped Gowtham. Adding to LSG’s miseries, Prasidh Krishna removed Jason Holder. The West Indian miscued it and departed for 8. At the end of Powerplay, LSG were on 31/3. The young in-form Ayush Badoni (5) looked to loft but ended up giving a straight catch at long-off off the bowling of Chahal (4/41). Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya chipped in but their rebuilding process was halted as Sen cleaned up Hooda (25). Chahal then dismissed the reliable Quinton de Kock (39), Pandya (22) and Dushmantha Chameera (13) to further cause panic in the LSG dugout. Earlier in the day, at the half-way stage RR were struggling at 67/4 after being put in to bat. West Indies big-hitter Hetmyer not only took his side out of troubled waters, but helped RR to post a competitive total on board. The left-hander’s 36-ball innings was studded with six sixes and one boundary. Hetmyer along with Ravichandran Ashwin (28) put together 68 runs before Ashwin retired out which paved way for Riyan Parag (8 off 4) to hit one maximum. Avesh, Gowtham and Holder shared five wickets to keep RR top-order on the backfoot. Avesh got an early and big breakthrough as he rattled the stumps of Jos Buttler (13). Holder trapped RR skipper Samson for 13 before Gowtham struck twice in the 10th over. Devdutt Padikkal (29) played a reverse sweep while trying to go over the third man but ended up giving a catch to Holder at first slip. Rassie van der Dussen, who replaced Yashasvi Jaiswal in the lineup, was bowled by Gowtham. Van der Dussen (4) tried to play a cut shot but missed it and the ball went past the bat to break his off stump. (UNI)