Arshdeep strikes as Royals lose their way after blistering start

Rajasthan Royals would not be too pleased with the way its innings finished at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The men in pink lost six wickets for just 19 runs off the last 21 balls.

After being put in by Kings Punjab, Royals were bowled out for 185 off the final delivery. Arshdeep Singh was the main reason for the Royals’ retreat. The left-arm seamer bowled superbly to take five for 32 from his four overs.

Earlier, the Royals’ new opening pair of Evin Lewis (36, 21b, 7×4, 1×6) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (49, 36b, 6×4, 2×6) started confidently.

Mohammed Shami may have succeeded to keep Jaiswal quiet for most of the first over, but his last two balls were dispatched to the boundary on either side of the wicket.

Lewis, fresh from his brilliant run in the Caribbean Premier League and playing his first game for Royals, looked in good nick, as he swung debutant seamer Ishan Porel over long-on for a six to get off the mark.

Lewis went after the Bengal bowler, whom he hit for four boundaries in his second over, as the Royals raced to 40 for no loss in four overs. In the next over, the openers raised fifty before Lewis perished. The West Indian was sent back by a fine, low diving catch at extra-cover by Mayank Agarwal off Arshdeep, who provided the much-needed break through for Kings in his very first over.

That brought Royals captain Sanju Samson to the crease, but he didn’t last long. Choosing to have a go at a wide short ball from Porel even before getting his eye in, he was smartly caught behind by Punjab skipper K.L. Rahul. Liam Livingstone, beginning his a new innings with Royals, was starting to explode when he was brilliantly caught by a diving Fabian Allen at deep mid-wicket.

A blistering 43 off just 17 balls (2×4, 4×6) by Mahipal Lomror should have been the launch pad for the death overs, but that was not to be as Kings and Arshdeep had other ideas.