Yashasvi Jaiswal was one of the main reasons as Rajasthan Royals kept their faint IPL 2023 playoff hopes alive with a four-wicket victory against Punjab Kings, at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Friday. The youngster registered a half-century as RR successfully chased down a target of 188 runs, reaching 189/6 in 19.4 overs. Jaiswal smacked 50 runs off 36 balls, packed with eight fours, a perfect example of his current form. The 21-year-old is currently second in the Orange Cap race with 625 runs in 14 matches, including a century and five half-centuries, with a high score of 124.
In their final league game vs Punjab, Devdutt Padikkal also bagged a half-century, slamming 51 runs off 30 deliveries, clobbering five fours and three sixes. Meanwhile, Shimron Hetmyer's late cameo was key, with the West Indies star playing a knock of 46 runs off 28 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes in the process. For PBKS' bowling department, Kagiso Rabada scalped two wickets.
Also Read | IPL 2023: RR stay alive in the playoff race with win over PBKS
Initially, PBKS reached 187/5 in 20 overs, courtesy of Sam Curran (49*). Meanwhile, Navdeep Saini was in hot form for Rajasthan and took three wickets.
Speaking on JioCinema, India legend Suresh Raina credited RR head coach and Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara for Jaiswal's rise in Indian cricket. "There is a certain calmness in his batting. There is a different energy in his body language, scoring runs consistently for his team. For this, I'll give a lot of credit to Kumar Sangakkara who is sitting in their dugout. He's (Jaiswal) a different type of player. He looks to dominate. And any player who looks to dominate in this format reaches a different level. He has all those qualities", he said.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking on JioCinema, India legend Suresh Raina credited RR head coach and Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara for Jaiswal's rise in Indian cricket. "There is a certain calmness in his batting. There is a different energy in his body language, scoring runs consistently for his team. For this, I'll give a lot of credit to Kumar Sangakkara who is sitting in their dugout. He's (Jaiswal) a different type of player. He looks to dominate. And any player who looks to dominate in this format reaches a different level. He has all those qualities", he said.
{{/usCountry}}After their win, RR climbed to fifth position in the standings with 14 points in 14 matches, and have a net run rate of +0.148. To qualify for the playoffs, RR need Royal Challengers Bangalore to lose against defending champions Gujarat Titans by a massive margin. Also, Mumbai Indians should not win against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and if Kolkata Knight Riders beat Lucknow Super Giants, it should be by a narrow margin.