5 moments that shaped RR vs LSG

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s brief but explosive start

24 off just 12 deliveries that allowed Rajasthan to be at 49 runs in 5 overs when he got out - Jaiswal once again showcased his class & versatility. His innings allowed Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag some breathing space before they went gung-ho. 

Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag’s power-packed partnership 

93 runs off just 59 balls on a two-paced surface is an exceptional partnership, and Samson and Parag did that by hitting 6 sixes (and three fours) and choosing the right bowlers and time to attack. It was a masterclass in innings construction, and Shubh Aggarwal shows you why in this article.

Boult - Burger come in, LSG top order goes out 

Trent Boult (two wickets) and Nandre Burger (making his IPL debut, playing as an impact substitute) arrived with hostility and accuracy, cleaning up Quinton de Kock, Devdutt Padikkal and Ayush Badoni (who was promoted above Deepak Hooda and Nicholas Pooran). LSG were 11/3 in 3.1 overs, and their chasing train was derailed as soon as it arrived on the platform. 

KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran’s fighting partnership

The score was 60/4 in 7.3 overs when Pooran joined Rahul. The score was 145/5 when Rahul got out on the first ball of the 16th over. From being out of the game to suddenly finding themselves neck and neck with the Royals, KL and Pooran batted with maturity, immense power and skill to give LSG a real shot at chasing 194 despite their top 4 doing next to nothing. 

If not for Sandeep Sharma’s brilliance, the pair would have taken LSG home, considering how they went about their business until then. 

Sandeep Sharma - The death overs dynamo

Sandeep made his name in the IPL for the first time as a new ball swing bowler. Some years and a COVID pandemic later, he's now evolved into a reliable death bowler. He came to bowl in the 15th over and picked up KL Rahul’s wicket by giving him absolutely no pace, bowling near the wide line, and asking him to hit over the deep point fielder if he wished to hit a six. 

22 runs in 3 overs at 7.33 runs/over feel like normie numbers. But put them in the context of the overs he bowled, you’ll know why he had the second biggest impact in RR’s victory today after Sanju Samson, according to Cricket.com’s player impact metric.