IPL: Rajasthan Royals snatch win over Punjab Kings

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Rajasthan Royals somehow snatched an Indian Premier League victory over Punjab Kings, who failed to score the four runs required from the final over.

Seamer Kartik Tyagi removed Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda, and three were still required from the last ball.

Fabian Allen failed to make contact, leaving Kings on 183-4 and the Royals winners by two runs in Dubai.

England batsman Liam Livingstone earlier made 25 from 17 balls in Rajasthan's 185 all out.

The Royals, without Livingstone's England team-mates Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, go fifth in the table, level on eight points with fourth-placed Mumbai Indians.

Punjab are seventh in the eight-team table on six points, having played at least one game more than every other team.

The IPL resumed in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday after being postponed in May amid a surge in coronavirus cases in India.

Royals' remarkable win

This was a stunning turnaround from Rajasthan, who dropped KL Rahul three times as he and Mayank Agarwal put on 120 for the first wicket in less than 12 overs.

Even after Rahul went for 49 and Agarwal fell for 67, Pooran and IPL debutant Aiden Markram - preferred to West Indies legend Chris Gayle - were in control.

With 18 needed from 18 balls, Markram blasted fellow South African Chris Morris for six, but Punjab failed to find the boundary again.

Twelve from 17 balls became eight from 12 then, after Mustafizur Rahman's tight 19th over, Tyagi was left with four to defend.

Markram took a single before Pooran guided the third delivery of the final over behind to depart for 32.

Hooda missed one and edged to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, leaving Allen to swing and miss.

Kings miss out

Kings had given a debut to England leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who was expensive in conceding 35 from three overs.

Livingstone had already swiped Arshdeep Singh over mid-wicket for six when he was caught two balls later in the same region thanks to a brilliant effort from the flying Allen.

Yashavsi Jaiswal made 49 and Mahipal Lomror 43 for the Royals, who looked to have been checked by left-armer Arshdeep's 5-32 and 3-21 from Mohammad Shami.

Indeed, the Kings were in charge of this game until the last possible moment, and Tyagi's superb final over.

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