Mumbai : Yashasvi Jaiswal (41 off 29 balls), skipper Sanju Samson (32 off 24), and Devdutt Padikkal (39 off 18) got starts but could not go on to score a big one as Rajasthan Royals posted a par score of 178/6 in 20 overs against Lucknow Super Giants at the Brabourne Stadium here on Sunday.
With Lucknow Super Giants needing a win to claim the second spot in the points table, skipper K.L Rahul was happy to bowl first as Samson won the toss and elected to bat.
Rajasthan suffered an early setback as their top batter Jos Buttler, who leads the chart for most runs with 627 runs including three centuries, was out with the score of 11. Jaiswal and Samson added 64 runs for the second wicket but both got out when they were looking good for a bigger score — Jaiswal top-edging a skier to bowler Ayush Badoni and Samson holing out to Deepak Hooda off Jason Holder.
Padikkal kept the Rajasthan Royals going with an 18-ball 39, hitting five boundaries and two sixes before he was out, caught by Krunal Pandya off Ravi Bishnoi.
Earlier, Jos Buttler got out for less than 10 runs for the second successive match but Rajasthan Royals have Yashasvi Jaiswal to thank for setting up the platform for the Royals in a match that they need to win to improve their chances of reaching the playoffs.
Jaiswal struck a 29-ball 41. hitting six boundaries and a six to keep the Rajasthan Royals going. He shared a 64-run partnership with skipper Sanju Samson (32) and 26 with Padikkal before he was out, top-edging a catch off a length ball outside off and offering bowler Ayush Badoni a simple catch.
Jaiswal hammered Dushmantha Chameera for four and a six off successive deliveries after blasting a four off a no-ball (overstepping) and hitting a wide one by the Sri Lankan bowler for a boundary — the sixth over from Chameera costing 21 runs to LSG. He made the most of a catch dropped by Mohsin Khan at short fin-leg off Avesh Khan in the previous over.
Padikkal, coming in the middle-order, struck 39 off 18 balls, hitting Chameera for two fours in the 13th over and blasting Krunal Pandya for a six over the deep mid-wicket fence. He had earlier struck Marcus Stoinis for two fours and a six in the 10th over before holing out to deep midwicket with a slog sweep off Bishnoi.
Riyan Parag (19 off 16), Jimmy Neesham (14 off 12) and Trent Boult (17 not out off 9) ensured Rajasthan Royals reached a par total. However, Rajasthan may have fallen short by 10-15 runs on a pitch that is playing a bit slow and is expected to ease out further in the second innings.
Ravi Bishnoi was the most successful bowler for LSG with 2/31 while AVeshKhan (1/20), Jason Holder (1/12), and Ayush Badoni (1/5) got wickets as skipper KL Rahul used as many as eight bowlers.
Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 178/6 in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 41, Devdutt Padikkal 39, Sanju Samson 32; Ravi Bishnoi 2/31) against Lucknow Super Giants.
–IANS