RR vs LSG

11:51 PM local time and IST: Rajasthan Royals have matters in their own hands! If they win their final game, they go through to the playoffs, no matter what happens elsewhere! But that match is on Sunday. The next touchdown for us, is Kolkata, where the Knight Riders, still in the hunt for a playoffs spot, hosts Mumbai Indians, who are hungry to spoil another party! The game begins at 7:30 PM local time. For now, it is the pair of Pradeep and Bidipto taking your leave, also on behalf of Datrim, who was there in the 1st innings. Keep following Sportskeeda! 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Player of the Match, 93 runs off only 38 balls and the new Orange Cap holder of course): "My thought was not to rush too much, and take it as deep as possible. Because the wicket was good. I don't follow too much of what is said or written, I just want to play my game and complete my cricketing journey. This celebration was just as it was! Something new every match, that's all! Just want to enjoy the match, the last one, and that we focus on winning." 

Yashasvi Jaiswal [Rajasthan Royals captain]: "I think everyone put the hard yards, and everyone played really well! The way Jofra (Archer) came back, Brijesh bowled, and of course, the way Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi) batted and Dhruv (Jurel), and the support staff with their work behind the scenes, it's unbelievable! Brijesh (Sharma) and Sandy bhai (Sandeep Sharma) had some niggles, so I had to bring Dasun (Shanaka) in. There were some interesting decisions taken, but, the bowlers worked extremely well to prove them right! We kept it simple with the bat. I wanted to go out and play proper cricket shots. And I told Vaibhav to keep batting and make sure whoever stays on, keeps scoring runs to help us. I just want our team to play this beautiful game of cricket in our last match, and do well!" 

Yash Raj Punja [Rajasthan Royals]: [On his bowling performance and approach]“With the kind of start we had in the game, my focus wasn’t on trying anything fancy. I just wanted to keep things simple, stay composed, and shift the pressure back onto the batting side. Throughout the season as well, it’s mainly been about preparation — discussing plans with the coaches before matches, understanding each batter, and then staying calm enough to execute those plans in the middle.”[On handling pressure during the middle overs]“There was pressure in the previous game too, but every match teaches you something. Today, I felt taking an extra second to assess the conditions before running in helped me a lot. The aim was to keep things tight through the middle overs, and I thought the death bowlers complemented that really well too.”[On learning as a 19-year-old in the IPL]“I’m just trying to take things one game at a time and learn as much as possible from every experience. I’ve already made a list of areas I want to improve before next season, so for me it’s all about continuing to grow and getting better with each opportunity.”[On the team environment and playoff push]“It’s been an amazing environment to be part of. The coaches and captain make things very comfortable for us and encourage players to go out and express themselves freely. The season is still alive for us, and there’s plenty more to achieve as a team.”

Rishabh Pant [Lucknow Super Giants captain]: [On LSG’s total at the halfway stage]“I think there are a couple of ways to look at it. The middle overs were decent, but after the kind of start we had, we probably left a few runs out there. On a surface like this, when you get that momentum in the powerplay, you should ideally push for another 5-10 runs. Credit to Jofra Archer as well — the way he bowled at the death was outstanding and made things difficult for us.”[On the challenge of defending totals on a batting-friendly surface]“It’s definitely tough for bowlers on wickets like these because there’s very little margin for error. As a captain, you always want to back your bowlers, but at the same time, overloading them with too many plans and suggestions can sometimes create confusion. The key is to keep things simple, stay focused one ball at a time, and execute consistently.”[On missing experienced players like Mohammed Shami]“Experience is something you always miss, regardless of the conditions or situation. It’s not something that develops overnight — players earn it over years of cricket. In pressure situations, that kind of experience definitely helps the team stay calm and make better decisions.”[On delaying Shahbaz Ahmed’s introduction into the attack]“The left-handers were well set at that stage, and we didn’t want to expose a left-arm spinner unnecessarily when we already had another bowling option available. It was more about matching the situation and trying not to take unnecessary risks with the bowling changes.”[On the team’s belief despite results not going their way]“We’re still proud of the team and the quality we have in this squad. Things haven’t gone the way we would have liked this season, and everyone knows that, but it doesn’t change the belief within the group. We know the kind of cricket this team is capable of playing, and we remain confident in ourselves as a unit.”

11:25 PM local time and IST: Rajasthan Royals win by 7 wickets with 5 balls to spare! 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 93 (38) | Yash Raj Punja - 2/35 (4)
Mitchell Marsh 96 (57) | Mohsin Khan - 1/31 (4)

No Shami, and lots of problems for Lucknow Super Giants! But, we cannot take anything away from the superlative batting from the likes of skipper Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, and of course, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi! What this win for Rajasthan Royals means now, is that if they win their final match in Mumbai, they go through to the playoffs. 

Plenty of pace from LSG. And Mayank Yadav, as well as, Mohsin Khan, brought them out to push the RR opening batters back. It worked for a few overs of course. Even Akash Singh got rid of his U19 World Cup winning teammate to give the visitors the first strike. 

But after that, it was the Vaibhav show! The show was breathtaking, as always. But, that it came in an important match, in a run chase, against a pacey bowling attack, on a ground not so helpful for the hosts, without the services of their regular skipper and their most experience played, was highly commendable! 

And no praise is too high for Dhruv Jurel! He was special, in his own way! He shepherded the innings when needed to and stepped it up when need be as well. He was on top of his game, with all the ball-striking going on at the other end! 

There were a couple of wickets that fell along the way, and a dropped catch in there too, by Nicholas Pooran, but then, both Jurel and Donovan Ferreira got the job done with no hiccup at all! 

19.1 Shahbaz Ahamad to Donovan Ferreira, SIX! THAT IS IT! Rajasthan Royals back to winning ways! They climb to fourth spot on the points table, and knock CSK and DC out of this year's IPL! On a length outside the off-stump, Ferreira smokes it over long-off for a maximum to seal the game.

The over rate penalty has been imposed on LSG.

Nicholas Pooran has had a forgettable season. Another moment to forget here, with that dropped catch. So, we have a last over. 

18.6 Prince Yadav to Donovan Ferreira, DROPPED! Pooran shells a sitter at long-on. Low full toss on the stumps, Ferreira clubbed it straight to long-on and Pooran running forward, dives and makes a meal of it.