PBKS are still in the race to qualify for the playoffs in the IPL 2021 season. They defeated KKR at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday with 5 wickets in hand, and with 3 balls left. It was a do-or-die match for Punjab, as losing this match would eliminate them from the tournament.
The match
The match started with Punjab opting to bowl first, and Venkatesh Iyer and Shubhman Gill coming to bat. Youngstar Iyer as usual started brilliantly and converted his innings to a big score of 67 of 49 balls. He hit a total of 9 fours and 1 six. Also with the help of Rahul Tripathi’s 34 of 26 and 31 of 18 helped them to reach a total of 165 for the loss of 7 wickets.
In reply, PBKS started well with KL Rahul holding one end and Mayank Agarwal playing some good shots to keep up the required run rate. Though KKR picked Agarwal and after him, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram couldn’t stand for long; it seemed like KKR were in control. However, KL Rahul was still there and scored 67 of 55 balls helping his team to get close to the score. Also, Shahrukh Khan’s short cameo of 22 off just 9 balls snatched the victory from the hands of the Knight club.
Will PBKS qualify for the playoffs?
With this win, PBKS still have a chance to get to the finals. They need to win all the matches and also with a good run rate. On the other hand, their contenders including KKR, MI, RR must lose all remaining matches. Then only they will be able to qualify for the final round of the Indian Premier League 2021. It is to be seen if PBKS are able to keep up this momentum that they gained with this win.
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