IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giant in Jaipur, on Saturday.
Pacer Avesh Khan held his nerve in the death overs, bowling yorker after yorker to perfection, to help Lucknow Super Giants pull off a thrilling two-run win over Rajasthan Royals, in their IPL 2025 match in Jaipur on Saturday.
Royals were cruising at 156/2 after 17 overs, needing 25 runs from three overs with eight wickets in hand. But, Avesh conceded five runs in the 18th over and took two wickets -- Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal to turn the game on it's head before defending nine runs off the final over.
In a tense final over, LSG pacer Avesh dismissed Shimron Hetmyer (12) and conceded just six runs to hand LSG a memorable victory as RR finished on 178/5 in 20 overs, while chasing 181 for a win.
It was heartbreak for the Royals, who lost from a dominant position to slump to their fourth straight loss -- and sixth defeat in eight matches.
In the run chase, Jaiswal (74) continued his roaring form with an entertaining fifty, while 14-year-old IPL's youngest player Vaibhav Suryavanshi (34 off 20 balls) made an instant impact on his debut as the left-handed opening duo stitched 85 runs in 8.4 overs in an entertaining partnership to delight the home fans.
Jaiswal kept smashing the LSG bowlers, hitting five fours and four sixes during his 52-ball knock.
The Royals' run chase began in spectacular fashion with Suryavanshi coming out as impact substitute, along with Jaiswal, as the Sawai Mansingh Stadium cheered him all through.
All of 14 years and 23 days, Suryavanshi struck a six in the first delivery of his IPL career, hoisting Shardul Thakur over extra-cover boundary to join an exclusive 10-member club.
He meted out the same punishment to Avesh in the next over in a sensational start to his career.
Suryavanshi got a lifeline when he was dropped on 14 as Prince Yadav put down a tough running back from covers off the bowling of Avesh in the second over.
The other opener Jaiswal, who is nine years older to Suryavanshi, then took over, hitting Shardul for a six and a four and two maximums off Aiden Markram. Another six by Jaiswal who was on fire took the Royals to 61 for no loss at the end of Powerplay.
They were on song at 10 runs an over before Suryavanshi's entertaining innings of 34 off 20 balls came to an end.
The youngster was beaten by a slower delivery from part-time spinner Markram and Pant affected a brilliant stumping.
Suryavanshi took the referral but he was unsuccessful. He left the pitch distraught though he has made an impact on his debut.
Nitish Rana, who scored a half century in RR's previous match, did not last long as he got out in the last ball of the 10th over for eight runs from seven balls.
The Royals were still well-placed at 94/2 in 10 overs at the halfway stage with a well-set Jaiswal out in the middle.
RR needed just 25 runs from the final three overs but Avesh turned the match on its head in the magical 18th over.
He bowled Jaiswal with a brilliant yorker off the first ball, and then had Parag leg before wicket off the last ball of the over as he conceded just five runs and picked up two key wickets in the 18th over to turn the tide in LSG's favour.
Royals needed nine from the final over bowled by Avesh. Dhruv Jurel managed a single off the first before Shimron Hetmyer got a thick outside edge for two runs to thirdman.
Avesh struck another crucial blow in the final over as Hetmyer holed out the full delivery to deep square leg to perish for 12 from seven balls.
Avesh then got another yorker on target as new batter Shubham Dubey could only defend the fourth ball back to the bowler before he lofted the next down the ground but David Miller put down an easy catch running in from long-on.
Royals still had hopes as they needed four from the final delivery but Avesh nailed another yorker as Dubey could only defend it back to the bowler as LSG registered a narrow victory -- their fifth in eight games to jump to fourth in the standings, level on 10 points with Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings.
Earlier, Markram and Ayush Badoni struck half centuries to help LSG recover from initial batting slump and post a competitive 180/5.
Markram (66 off 45 balls) and Ayush Badoni (50 off 34 balls) stitched 76 runs for the fourth wicket to resurrect the LSG innings after they were reduced to 54/3 in the eighth over.
Captain Rishabh Pant's decision to bat first after winning the toss looked like to be backfiring but Markram and Badoni rescued the visiting side with some solid batting.
Abdul Samad then played a cameo of 30 not out off just 10 balls down the order, hitting six fours from the final over bowled by Sandeep Sharma.
For the Royals, Wanindu Hasaranga (2/31) was the most successful bowler while Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande and Sandeep Sharma took one wicket apiece.
Archer conceded two fours to Markram in the first over but he came back to dismiss in-form opener Mitchell Marsh (4) in his second over with Shimron Hetmyer taking a fine catch after the batter edged the ball.
Markram was going strong at the other end but wickets fell around him with Sandeep getting rid of Nicholas Pooran (11), the leading run-scorer, leg-before after the batter committed far too early to a slower delivery.
LSG were 46 for 2 after powerplay and they were in a spot of bother in the eighth over with Pant falling cheaply for just three runs after his fine 63 against Chennai Super Kings. Before that, his highest score was 21.
Pant miscued a Hasaranga delivery that bounced a bit more than expected and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel did the rest.
With Markram smashing two consecutive sixes in the 10th over, LSG were 76/3 at the half-way mark.
Markram completed his fifty in the 11th over, taking three runs off Sandeep as he steadied the LSG innings along with Badoni. The duo's 76-run stand ended when Markram holed out to Riyan Parag at long-off in the 16th over bowled by Hasaranga.
LSG would have wanted Badoni to carry on longer but he got out just after reaching his fifty in the 18th over, caught by Shubham Dubey off the bowling Tushar Deshpande.
Earlier, regular captain Sanju Samson was sidelined due to a side strain he sustained in the previous game with Parag stepping in as the stand-in skipper.
© 2025