After losing two matches on the trot, Punjab Kings (PBKS) returned to winning ways by beating Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by two wickets at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday, April 15. It was also Lucknow's defeat at home.
Batting first, the hosts were off to a flying start, with KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers firing all cylinders. Harpreet Brar provided the first breakthrough, dismissing the West Indian batter in the eighth over.
Rahul held one end tightly and witnessed wickets galore from the other end. The LSG skipper played a well-compiled knock of 74 runs to help the team post 159/8 in 20 overs.
In response, PBKS got off to a woeful start, losing both openers cheaply. Matthew Short and Harpreet Bhatia steadied the ship before LSG crawled back into the game. Sikandar Raza scored a timely half-century, coupled with Shahrukh Khan's match-winning 23 off 10 balls that sealed the tie for the tourists.
Here's a look at three instances that created a buzz during the LSG vs PBKS tie.
#1 Shahrukh Khan times his catch to perfection
Shahrukh Khan had a busy outing on the field on Saturday. The Tamil Nadu batter grabbed three catches on the day, however, it was Krunal Pandya's catch that stood out.
The incident took place in the 15th over of the LSG innings when Pandya targeted the shorter boundary to clobber Kagiso Rabada for a six. However, he didn't get the desired timing and Shahrukh was placed well within the boundary.
He completed an easy catch, only to realize that he was going over the ropes. Shahrukh lobbed the ball in the air, settled himself, came back and then took it on the rebound.
#2 Shahrukh Khan's six off Mark Wood
Shahrukh Khan announced his arrival in the middle with a massive six off LSG pacer Mark Wood.
Wood came out to bat after Jitesh Sharma's dismissal in the 16th over. With the game hanging in the balance, the hard-hitter shifted the momentum in favor of PBKS with a towering hit on the first delivery he faced.
It was pitched full and outside off-stump and Shahrukh smoked it over the long-on fielder for a six.
#3 Kagiso Rabada's double strike
After a sedate outing in the last game against Gujarat Titans (GT), Kagiso Rabada was back at his best against LSG. He returned with 2/34 from his quota of four overs.
His two wickets came off consecutive deliveries in the 15th over of Lucknow's innings, dismissing Krunal and Nicholas Pooran. The double strike was a major blow for the hosts as they could only muster 159/8, which was convincingly chased down by PBKS.
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