It has been yet another nail-biting final-over finish between the Punjab Kings and the Rajasthan Royals! Despite not clinching the win this time, we are brimming with pride for our team and their commendable efforts on the field. Although we could not get the win, we are confident that we will be able to make a comeback in our next game.

In this thrilling match, we saw a change in leadership as Sam Curran stepped up as captain in place of the injured Shikhar Dhawan. The Rajasthan Royals won the toss and opted to bowl first. We received a boost as Liam Livingstone made a return from injury. With Dhawan sidelined, the responsibility fell on Atharva Taide to partner with Jonny Bairstow. The opening duo started decently, with Taide exhibiting early promise with the bat. However, we faced a setback with the loss of a couple of quick wickets, which momentarily slowed their momentum. Jitesh Sharma tried hard to resurrect our innings with a brisk 29 along with the help from Liam Livingstone who scored 21.

The tide turned with Ashutosh Sharma's explosive performance. His brilliant innings of 31 in just 16 balls helped us post a respectable total of 147 runs.

When it was Rajasthan's turn to bat, our bowlers put on a stellar display, maintaining tight control over the game and preventing Rajasthan from scoring freely despite a solid opening partnership from their batters, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tanush Kotian. Liam Livingstone, with his timely breakthrough, disrupted Rajasthan's rhythm.

Kagiso Rabada's impactful strikes of Jaiswal and Samson further strengthened our position.

Although Rajasthan posed a threat courtesy of Riyan Parag, Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel brought us back into the game with the wickets of Parag and Dhruv Jurel. Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell brought the target within reach as they needed 12 in 10 balls before Sam Curran dismissed the latter. Hetmyer though, kept his cool and took the Royals home.

Despite the outcome not being in our favor, we are immensely proud of the dedication and resilience exhibited by our team. As we eagerly anticipate our next encounter against the Mumbai Indians on April 18th, we remain optimistic about our chances to bounce back stronger.

Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 147 for 8 in 20 overs (Ashutosh Sharma 31, Jitesh Sharma 29, Keshav Maharaj 2/23) lose to Rajasthan Royals 152 for 7 in 19.5 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 39, Shimron Hetmyer 27, Kagiso Rabada 2/18)

Man of the Match: Shimron Hetmyer