Smith and Watson are ecstatic after Rajasthan won the match via a boundary count
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
The Rajasthan Royals walked away with an unorthodox victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi after a Super Over was not enough to separate both sides.
Rajasthan won the match based on the fact that they had scored more boundaries than Kolkata.
Rajasthan captain Shane Watson may have been regretting his decision to bat first early on after opening batsman Karun Nair was clean bowled by Vinay Kumar for just one run.
Sanju Samson managed to make 20 runs before he was cleaned up by Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
Watson and Ajinkya Rahane stabilised the innings with a 64-run partnership, during which Rahane brought up his half-century, before Watson was run out by Manish Pandey for 33.
Stuart Binny failed to trouble the scorers as he was caught behind off the bowling of Morne Morkel for a golden duck.
Rahane went on to score 72 off 59 balls, which included six boundaries and a six, before he was caught by Suryakumar Yadav at long-on off the bowling of Vinay Kumar.
Rahane made an impressive 72
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Thanks to Rahane, Rajasthan finished on 152/5 off their 20 overs.
Vinay Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets, while Morkel and Al Hasan chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Chasing 153 to win, Kolkata got off to a poor start as opening batsman Manvinder Bisla was caught by Nair at slip off the bowling of Kane Richardson for three runs.
South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis only made 13 runs before he was caught by Steven Smith at long-off off the bowling of Pravin Tambe.
Pandey scored 19 runs before he was given out lbw off the bowling of Tambe.
Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir top-scored with 45, which came off 44 balls and included four boundaries, before he was caught by Iqbal Abdulla at deep square leg off the bowling of Rajat Bhatia.
Yadav and Al Hasan steadied the innings with a 49-run partnership before Yadav was caught by Smith at long-off off the bowling of James Faulkner.
Faulkner struck twice more in the same over when Robin Uthappa and Vinay Kumar was both clean bowled.
Faulkner saved Rajasthan from certain defeat by taking three wickets in one over
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Piyush Chawla failed to score a single run as he was run out by Smith for a golden duck.
Despite the late flurry of wickets, Al Hasan kept his cool and managed to tie the game by running hard for two runs off the last ball of the match.
Al Hasan remained unbeaten on 29 off 18 balls, which included three boundaries.
Faulkner was the most successful bowler with three wickets, while Tambe snapped up two and Bhatia and Richardson claimed one wicket each.
With the scores tied at the end of the match, it was time to see if a Super Over would reveal a winner.
Kolkata batted first and got off to the worst possible start as Yadav was run out by Samson off the very first ball of the Super Over.
Pandey smashed a much-needed six off the fourth ball, but Kolkata only managed to make 11 runs off the Super Over before Al Hasan was also run out by Samson off the last ball.
Needing 12 to win from their Super Over, Rajasthan did not lose a wicket, but they only managed to make 11 runs as well, which proved not to be a problem as they were declared the winners via a boundary count.
Gambhir was disgusted to have lost the match, and said: “Very disappointed being on the losing side. We deserve to be in a better position, all the games we have lost we were in positions we could have won. It was important (his return to form). Someone has to try and be positive upfront, that is my job, that has been my job for the last three years, hopefully from here on, I can be more aggressive at the top. We keep talking about the wicket in Kolkata, [but] we have an attack suited for most conditions.”
Watson was relieved to have escaped with a win, and said: “To be able to come out on top of such a game is a nice feeling for us. I was just going to run as fast as I could. Steve Smith is calm under pressure. We just needed two. He is a very skilled young fellow. It is great to have Jimmy back in form. He is a very key component of our team like he was last year. If you are on the wrong side of this (match), it can be disappointing as well.”
Faulkner was named Man of the Match, and said: “I am going to sleep well tonight and I am sure the rest of the squad is going to as well. In all seriousness, this is my first Super Over, I have watched a few in T20 cricket before. I got hit for a pretty big six in that last over. It has been a bit of a slow journey since I have had surgery.”