"IPL El Clasico Always delivers"- Fans react after Punjab Kings edge out Rajasthan Royals in a cliffhanger in IPL 2023

Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated the Rajasthan Royals (RR) narrowly by five runs in the eighth match of IPL 2023 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on April 5. The match went down to the wire as both teams fought hard till the last over.

Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab side reached a daunting total of 197/4 after losing the toss on a decent batting surface with dew in play. Dhawan ushered his troops from the front with a magnificent 86*. His opening partner Prabhsimran Singh (60) also played a handy role by hitting his maiden IPL fifty.

In reply, the Rajasthan Royals' top order failed to contribute substantially. Sanju Samson (42 off 25 balls) took the onus upon himself and scored at a brisk pace to keep the required run rate under check. Nathan Ellis (4/30) wreaked havoc in the middle overs and destroyed RR's middle order.

Things looked bleak for the Royals after Ellis's match-defining spell. The ebbs and flows of the match continued as RR once again returned to the hunt on the back of quick-fire cameos from Shimron Hetmyer (36) and Dhruv Jurel (32*).

Sam Curran, however, rose to the occasion in the final over. He overcame heavy dew conditions to defend 16 runs against aggressive RR batters to help his side seal the game.

After witnessing another thrilling encounter between RR and PBKS, fans touted it as one of the best rivalries in IPL history. The two teams have consistently delivered entertaining clashes over the past few years.

Many dramatic events also occurred during their games, like Ravichandran Ashwin's Mankad against Jos Buttler and Rahul Tewatia's assault of five sixes against Sheldon Cottrell. Fans took to Twitter to express their opinion on the rivalry between the two sides after the latest chapter unfolded in IPL 2023.

Here are some of the most eye-catching reactions:

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"I was keeping my calm and focusing on the best we could do at the moment"- Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan after victory against RR

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Punjab skipper Shikhar Dhawan stated that things got tense during the finishing stages of the chase. He revealed that they were trying to maintain their composure with a lot of dew present, making the bowler's job difficult. Dhawan said:

"Yes absolutely there were some nervous moments. I was keeping my calm and focusing on the best we could do at the moment. There was a lot of dew. I was happy with the score I put up. They bowled very good yorkers and I was very happy we got 180-something. "

He added:

"There were some moments where the game was going out of our hands but the bowlers brought it back. It was a team effort. These two matches, we have gotten a great start."

Punjab Kings next face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 9, Sunday, in Hyderabad.