Mohammed Shami provided Punjab Kings with a brilliant start dismissing all-rounder Ben Stokes during their IPL 2021 game against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Punjab have set a mammoth target of 222 runs thanks to brilliant batting displays from skipper KL Rahul and all-rounder Deepak Hooda.
After a couple of full-length balls, Mohammed Shami delivered one back of a length on the off-stump. It was not short enough to pull but Ben Stokes goes for it nevertheless, the urgency necessitated by the required rate. It goes straight up off the top edge and it would’ve landed right back on Stokes.
Mohammed Shami dismisses Ben Stokes early
He moves away though at the last moment. There was a collision between Shami and KL Rahul as they go for the catch. However, Mohammed Shami held onto the catch somehow. Could’ve been nasty this, but thankfully both are okay as well.
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Rajasthan Royals are in early trouble as Arshdeep Singh held onto another stunner to send both the openers back to the hut early. But Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler have steadied the innings but will have to carry long to give themselves a good chance of winning the match.
Earlier in the day, Deepak Hooda certainly made the most of it after being promoted up the order. He came in at four, ahead of Nicholas Pooran, and the move worked wonders as he took the innings to a different level with a blistering 64 off 28 balls including six towering sixes and four boundaries. KL Rahul’s innings, where he scored 91 off 50 balls, almost felt sedate in comparison.
Rahul anchored the innings alongside Chris Gayle and Deepak Hooda to post 222 runs on the board which will be a daunting task for Rajasthan Royals, who also boast some hard-hitters in their line-up.
