Given what had transpired in IPL 2024 before Saturday, a target of 148 should not have posed any threat. Especially when the team chasing was an in-form Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the team defending was a struggling Punjab Kings (PBKS). However, a tricky pitch at the stadium in Mullanpur combined with a better bowling show from PBKS meant that RR had a few jittery moments in their run chase.
RR eventually reached the target with three wickets remaining and one ball remaining, taking first place with five victories from six games. After RR’s all-around bowling effort held the hosts to 147/8 (Avesh Khan and Keshav Maharaj took two wickets each, while Trent Boult, Kuldeep Sen, and Yuzvendra Chahal claimed a wicket each), Rajasthan was forced to chase after the run of play thanks to crucial blows from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmyer.