Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab, Indian Premier League 2020 Match 50: As it happened

Image Credits: Twitter/@IPL

Chris Gayle's blistering knock of 99 runs went in vain as Rajasthan Royals clinched a comfortable seven-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab to keep their hopes of making it to the playoffs alive in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Chasing a good target of 186 runs to win, openers Robin Uthappa and Ben Stokes provided a perfect start to the Rajasthan franchise by stitching a 60-run stand for the opening wicket.

After Ben Stokes fell for 26-ball 50, Uthappa (30) and Sanju Samson (48) added 51 runs for the second wicket before skipper Steve Smith (31) and Jos Buttler (22) helped Rajasthan Royals cross the mark in 17.3 overs.

Earlier, Gayle not only notched up a sublime knock of 99 runs off 63 balls, but also stitched a hige 120-run stand for the second wicket with skipper-cum-opener KL Rahul to help Kings XI Punjab post a total of 185 for four in their stipulated 20 overs.

With the win, Rajasthan Royals have climbed up to the fifth spot in the IPL 2020 points table with six wins from 13 matches and are now standing just behind KXIP, who have same number of victories in hand but have better net run-rate than Rajasthan.

Here are the highlights:

30 October 2020

23:54 IST

RR beat KXIP by 7 wickets !

22:40 IST

WICKET!! Sanju Samson (48) fell short of a half-century after getting run out following a direct hit by Mandeep Singh's substitute Suchith on the second delivery of 15th over by Ravi Bishnoi. RR 146/3 (15 overs)

22:34 IST

Rajasthan Royals have reduced their chase to 54 runs needing from 42 balls.Steve Smith (10) hit the second ball of 12th over by Ravi Bishnoi wide of long-on for four runs before Sanju Samson (40) hammered Murugan Ashwin for a six and a boundary in the next over. RR 132/2 (13 overs)

22:31 IST

WICKET!! Robin Uthappa departed for 23-ball 30 after being caught by Nicolas Pooran at deep midwicket on the fifth ball of 11th over by Murugan Ashwin.RR 112/2 (11 overs)

22:22 IST

Robin Uthappa and Sanju Samson are currently batting at the crease at 23 and 28 runs, respectively as Rajasthan Royals have crossed the 100-run mark against the Kings XI Punjab. The Steve Smith-led side now needs 83 runs off 60 balls. RR 103/1 (10 overs)

22:12 IST

13 runs off the last two overs. Sanju Samson (9) has joined Robin Uthappa (19) at the crease following the dismissal of Ben Stokes. Uthappa smashed a Ravi Bishnoi delivery in the eighth over 
between the point and short third man to collect four runs. RR now need 107 runs off 72 balls. RR 79/1 (8 overs)

22:00 IST

WICKET!! Soon after bringing up his half-century, Ben Stokes (50) was caught by Deepak Hooda at mid-off on the third ball of the sixth over by Chris Jordan. At the end of Powerplay, Rajasthan Royals stand at 66/1.

21:58 IST

Ben Stokes (39) is looking solid at the crease as he smashed Arshdeep Singh for two boundaries in the third over before hammering Murugan Ashwin for two sixes and a four in the next over to take Rajasthan Royals close to the half-century mark against KXIP. RR 48/0 (4 overs)

21:40 IST

Ben Stokes (13) and Robin Uthappa (7) have made a good start in their side's chase of 186 runs as the duo added 21 runs in the first two overs. Uthappa pushed the second delivery of the first over by Arshdeep Singh slightly wide of mid-on to get off the mark with a single, while Stokes drove the very next ball along the ground and wide of point to open his account with two runs. RR 21/0 (2 overs)

21:32 IST

Ben Stokes and Robin Uthappa have walked down the crease to begin Rajasthan Royals' chase. Arshdeep Singh opens the attack for KXIP. 

21:24 IST

INNINGS BREAK!!

21:21 IST

Chris Gayle (99) fell just one run short of a century after being bowled out by Jofra Archer in the last over as Kings XI Punjab set a 186-run target for Rajasthan Royals. KXIP 185/4 (20 overs)

21:06 IST

WICKET!! Nicholas Pooran departed for 10-ball 22 following a smart boundary catch by Rahul Tewatia on the last delivery of 18th over from Ben Stokes. KXIP 162/3 (18 overs)

20:59 IST

Kings XI Punjab have added 25 runs in the last two overs. Nicholas Pooran (21), who has joined Chris Gayle at the crease, got off the mark by picking the fourth ball of the 15th over by Aaron Finch up over square leg for a six before he lofted the last delivery of the same over towards extra cover for another maximum. KXIP 148/2 (17 overs)

20:46 IST

WICKET!! KL Rahul (46) fell short of a fifty after being caught by Rahul Tewatia at deep midwicket on the fourth delivery of 15th over by Ben Stokes.KXIP 123/2 (15 overs)

20:43 IST

Chris Gayle (68) and KL Rahul (45) are standing strong at the crease as Kings XI Punjab have crossed the 100-run mark against Rajasthan Royals. KXIP 118/1 (14 overs)

20:33 IST

FIFTY!! Chris Gayle brought up his third half-century in five matches off 33 balls. He reached the mark with a maximum by hitting the third ball of the 11th over by Rahul Tewatia over wide long-on. KXIP 97/1 (12 overs)

20:26 IST

Rahul Tewatia bowled a tight 9th over, giving away just two runs to KXIP, before Kartik Tyagi conceded eight runs. KL Rahul (33) drove the second ball of the 10th over by Tyagi over extra cover for a maximum.KXIP 81/1 (10 overs)

20:16 IST

Chris Gayle (41) is approaching a half-century, while skipper KL Rahul is batting at 25. Gayle played a slog sweep on the fourth ball of the seventh over by Shreyas Gopal and it went over the midwicket fence for a six before he picked up four more runs off a Ben Stokes delivery in the next over. KXIP 71/1 (8 overs)

20:05 IST

Chris Gayle and KL Rahul continue to stand strong at the crease at their respective scores of 27 and 21 as Kings XI Punjab reach 53 for one at the end of Powerplay. While Gayle hammered Kartik Tyagi for two boundaries and a six in the fifth over, Aaron Finch was smashed by KL Rahul for a boundary and a maximum.KXIP 53/1 (6 overs)

19:48 IST

13 runs off the last two overs. Chris Gayle (4) got a bottom edge of the bat past the wicketkeeper on the last ball of the second over by Aaron Finch for four runs before KL Rahul (6) cut a Jofra Archer delivery over the leaping point to complete 600 runs this IPL with a boundary.KXIP 14/1 (3 overs)

19:34 IST

WICKET!! Jofra Archer gave breakthrough to Rajasthan Royals as early as in the very first over. Mandeep Singh fell for a duck after he smashed the last ball of the over towards point, only to see Ben Stokes put in a full-length dive to catch it. KXIP  1/1 (1 over)

19:27 IST

KL Rahul and Mandeep Singh have walked down the crease to begin KXIP's innings. Jofra Archer to open the proceedings for RR. 

19:22 IST

While Kings XI Punjab are going with an unchanged Playing XI for the tie, Varun Aaron comes in for Ankit Rajpoot in Rajasthan Royals' Playing XI. 

19:21 IST

LINEUPS:

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Robin Uthappa, Ben Stokes, Steven Smith(c), Sanju Samson(w), Jos Buttler, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Varun Aaron, Kartik Tyagi

Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w/c), Mandeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

19:02 IST

Rajasthan Royals win the toss, opt to bowl against Kings XI Punjab ! 

18:57 IST

The toss for the second clash between KXIP and RR this season will take place shortly.