In a dramatic encounter at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday, Avesh Khan’s exceptional death bowling secured a nail-biting two-run victory for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). The match, which swung like a pendulum, saw fortunes change in the final few overs, ultimately culminating in a stunning finish orchestrated by the right-arm pacer.
Chasing a target of 181, the Rajasthan Royals seemed to be in control for a significant portion of their innings, thanks to a blistering 74 off 52 balls from Yashasvi Jaiswal and a solid 39 from stand-in captain Riyan Parag. The opening pair of Jaiswal and debutant Vaibhav Suryavanshi (34 off 20) had provided a flying start, adding 85 runs in under nine overs. Even after Suryavanshi’s departure and Nitish Rana’s brief stay at the crease, Jaiswal and Parag continued to build a strong partnership, leaving the Royals needing just 25 runs off the final three overs with eight wickets in hand.
However, the complexion of the game dramatically shifted in the 18th over, courtesy of Avesh Khan. With his back against the wall, Avesh delivered a game-changing over, conceding just five runs and, more importantly, picking up the crucial wickets of both the set batsmen, Jaiswal and Parag. He first uprooted Jaiswal’s middle stump with a perfect yorker and then trapped Parag leg-before-wicket with a similar delivery, turning the pressure squarely back onto the chasing team.
The penultimate over, bowled by Prince Yadav, went for 11 runs, leaving the Royals with nine runs to get off the final six balls with Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel at the crease. Once again, the responsibility fell on Avesh Khan to defend the total. He started with a single to Jurel, followed by two runs to Hetmyer off a misfield. The third ball saw Avesh dismiss Hetmyer, caught at backward square leg by Shardul Thakur. A crucial dot ball to new batsman Shubham Dubey increased the tension further. The fifth ball was a full toss that Dubey managed to hit down the ground, only for David Miller to drop a relatively straightforward catch, allowing two runs. With four runs needed off the final ball, Dubey could only manage a single off a full delivery that deflected off Avesh’s hand, sealing a thrilling victory for LSG by two runs.
Avesh Khan’s final figures of 3 for 37 in his four overs earned him the Player of the Match award. His ability to execute under pressure, especially his pinpoint yorkers in the death overs, proved to be the difference between the two sides. Speaking after the match, Avesh emphasized his focus on execution rather than worrying about the outcome and expressed his trust in bowling yorkers, his strength.
The victory was crucial for Lucknow Super Giants, propelling them to fourth place in the IPL standings with five wins from eight matches. For Rajasthan Royals, this was their fourth consecutive loss and sixth of the season, a bitter pill to swallow after being in a commanding position for the majority of the game. Stand-in captain Riyan Parag took the blame for not finishing the game, acknowledging that they had the match under control until the final few overs.
The match also saw the debut of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi for Rajasthan Royals, who impressed with a quickfire 34 at the top of the order, including a first-ball six. However, his promising start was overshadowed by the dramatic finish.
This thrilling encounter serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, where fortunes can change in the blink of an eye, and a composed performance under pressure, as displayed by Avesh Khan, can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
