Riyan Parag and Rajasthan Royals were rewarded for staying calm under pressure and getting their tactics spot on during their trip to Ahmedabad on Saturday. The former champions successfully defended a target of 210, with Tushar Deshpande nailing his yorkers in the final over of a thriller that went right down to the wire at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Ravi Bishnoi had earlier pulled things back, picking up four wickets, when Sai Sudharsan, who struck a classy 73, threatened to take the game away. In the end, however, it was Deshpande’s composure at the death that carried the Royals over the line.
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With an eight-wicket hammering of Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati followed by this last-over win against a Shubman Gill-less Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals have surged to the top of the table with four points from their first two matches.
It ultimately came down to decision-making under pressure, and young Riyan Parag, in his first season as full-time captain and amid all the chatter surrounding his appointment, proved his mettle. With two overs remaining, he had four strong options at his disposal: Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, yorker specialist Sandeep Sharma, and Tushar Deshpande, who has built a reputation at the death during his time with Chennai Super Kings.
Parag initially turned to Tushar for the 19th over, only to change his mind at the last moment.
He threw the ball to Archer.
Gujarat, riding on a spirited lower-order partnership between Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan, had brought the equation down to 15 from the final two overs.
Archer then delivered a superb over, conceding just four runs and setting it up perfectly for the finish.
When Parag finally handed the ball to Tushar, choosing him over Sandeep and Burger, the Mumbai pacer responded in style. He nailed his yorkers time and again, denying Rashid and Rabada any room to free their arms.
In the end, the final over yielded just four runs as Rajasthan sealed a six-run
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
Earlier in the evening, Rajasthan Royals combined well to post a challenging total of 210. After the young and exciting opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added 70 for the first wicket, the middle order struggled to maintain the momentum. At No. 3, Dhruv Jurel did more than just steady the innings, producing an eye-catching 75 off 45 balls as Rajasthan’s effort became a tale of two halves.
Vaibhav was at his belligerent best once again, signalling his intent from the outset. He took on senior India pacer and T20 World Cup winner Mohammed Siraj in the opening over, striking two boundaries. He carried on from where he had left off in Guwahati earlier in the week, where he had smashed a 17-ball 52 against Chennai Super Kings.
Unlike that outing, where he played a supporting role in a low-scoring chase, Jaiswal was aggressive from the start in Ahmedabad. He ensured Rajasthan attacked from both ends during the powerplay, taking on Siraj with two boundaries and a six in the third over.
There was little margin for error for the bowlers against the two left-handed openers. Kagiso Rabada discovered that quickly when Vaibhav deftly opened the face of the bat to guide a short-of-a-length delivery through point for four in the fourth over. The 15-year-old showed that his game is not built on power alone, but also on touch and timing, qualities that have made him one of the most talked-about young cricketers since his debut last year.
Gujarat’s express pacer Ashok Sharma was also taken on, conceding a boundary and a six as Vaibhav continued to play with fearless intent against high pace. By the end of the powerplay, Rajasthan had raced to 69 for no loss, laying a strong platform for the rest of the batting line-up.
Vaibhav looked set for another big score, but stand-in captain Rashid Khan altered the course of the innings. The Afghan leg-spinner banged one in short and cramped the left-hander for room. Vaibhav could only hit it straight to Glenn Phillips at deep midwicket.
There was a sense of relief among the Gujarat Titans supporters as a Sooryavanshi onslaught, which had threatened to take the game away early, was halted before it could fully unfold.
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