IPL: KL Rahul relieved after winning thriller vs SRH: Hope the TRP’s are up due to PBKS

KL Rahul was relieved of his captaincy after the Punjab Kings finally managed to win a game in the second part of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in a low-scoring thriller in Sharjah on Saturday.

Chasing a below-par score of 126 for victory, SRH fell short by 5 runs and ended up with 120 for 7 despite a valiant knock by Jason Holder, who took the game to the last ball and remained not out on 47.

The win helped PBKS keep their campaign alive in the IPL 2021 as they climbed two positions to fifth on the points table after successfully defending the lowest score in IPL history at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

“We are playing some entertaining cricket and have been doing so for the last two or three years, but I’ll take the win. Hope the TRP is up due to Punjab Kings.

“We wanted to get another 20-30 more runs but we’ll take the win. There was no pace on the pitch. It was important for our team for Chris and others to get stuck in. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. It gives us the belief that if you put a decent total on the board, the pressure can make the opposition do funny things,” Rahul said after the match.

The game tilted in Punjab’s favour in the second half thanks to the spells bowled by Ravi Bishnoi and Mohammed Shami, who broke the backbone of SRH’s batting lineup with the wickets of David Warner and Kane Williamson in the powerplay.

Bishnoi then came into the attack and caused further damage with 3 wickets for 24 runs from his 4 overs before Holder started to counter attack, hitting 5 sixes in his 29-ball knock.

“Holder played a phenomenal innings. He picked up two wickets in an over to get me and Mayank. He came and batted really well…

“Shami to start of, bowled really well, getting two big batters in Warner and Williamson. Made it easier for our spinners to settle into a nice line and length,” Rahul added.