IPL: 5 best last over finishes from IPL 2008

#4 Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals (24 April 2008)

Shane Warne being lifted by teammates, after his match-winning cameo of 22 off 9 against Deccan Chargers

Deccan Chargers in pursuit of their first win in IPL 2008, took on Rajasthan Royals at their home ground M Rajiv Gandhi stadium on 24 April 2008.

Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne won the toss and decided to field first. But Warne's decision to field first backfired as Deccan Chargers scored 214/5 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a brilliant hundred by Andrew Symonds who smashed Rajasthan Royals bowlers to all corners of the stadium, by scoring 117 runs off just 53 balls which included 11 fours and 7 sixes.

Chasing a huge target of 215 runs, Rajasthan Royals did not begin well as Chaminda Vaas dismissed the dangerous Kamran Akmal for just 13 runs in the 3rd over. Coming in at No. 3, Yusuf Pathan showed the cricketing world first glimpses of his big-hitting, by scoring 61 runs off just 28 balls with 4 fours and 5 huge sixes, and was involved in a 98-run partnership off just 44 balls with Graeme Smith for the 2nd wicket.

The dismissal of Yusuf Pathan and Shane Watson in the 10th and 12th over brought Deccan Chargers back in the match. But Mohammad Kaif, who came into bat after the fall of Shane Watson, had other ideas, and took a special liking to Andrew Symonds by hitting 3 sixes off Symonds's 2nd over and scored a quickfire 34 runs in just 16 balls and shared a 60 runs partnership of just 31 balls with Graeme Smith for the 4th wicket.

The dismissals of Kaif and Smith in the 18th over bowled by Shahid Afridi tilted the match completely in the favor of Deccan Chargers. RP Singh then bowled a superb penultimate over by conceding just 6 runs and dismissed Ravindra Jadeja, leaving Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne and Pankaj Singh to get 17 runs off the final over in order to win the match for Rajasthan Royals.

Having already finished the quota of his main bowlers, Deccan Chargers' skipper VVS Laxman gambled by selecting Andrew Symonds to bowl the last over which completely backfired. After conceding just 3 runs off his first two balls, Symonds was smashed for a four and 2 sixes by Shane Warne from the next three balls, thereby helping Rajasthan Royals win the match.

Brief Scores:

DC – 214/5 (20) – Andrew Symonds 117*(53), Rohit Sharma 36(30), Yusuf Pathan 2/20(2)

RR – 217/7 (19.5) – Graeme Smith 71(45), Yusuf Pathan 61(28), Shahid Afridi 3/28(4)

Man of the Match – Yusuf Pathan