Ravichandran Ashwin had a good time with the bat against Punjab Kings as he smashed a quickfire 28 off 19 balls.
India offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has always been known for his innovations with the ball in hand. His carrom ball created sensation when he arrived in the international cricket and the IPL. His genius cricketing mind and knowledge have been lauded by several experts over the years.
Not only with the ball, Ashwin has been no mug with the bat as well. Over the years, he has made several contributions with his batting lower down the order, whether it is for India or his IPL team. Given his batting exploits, Ashwin has also been promoted to No. 5 for more than one match in IPL.
During the RR vs PBKS match on Wednesday (May 15), Ashwin once again showed how much his batting has improved over the years. The offspinner was promoted to No. 5 when Rajasthan Royals were struggling at 42-3 in the eighth over of their innings.
He did exactly what his team wanted him to do. Ashwin batted with intent and scored a much needed 19-ball-28 to bring RR’s innings on track. His attacking intent took off the pressure from Riyan Parag and allowed him to take his time. Ashwin scored 3 fours and a six during his knock.
R Ashwin breaks the shackles 💥
Rajasthan Royals 86/3 in the 13th over, what would be a good total from here 🤔
Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱#TATAIPL | #RRvPBKS pic.twitter.com/veflibZtmP
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 15, 2024
One of his 3 fours caught the eye of the viewers and cricket experts as Ashwin brought out a switch hit off legspinner Rahul Chahar to hit him through backward point for a boundary. It was an unusual shot for a man who likes playing proper cricketing shots and relies on his timing. The right-hander hit 2 fours and a six in three balls in the same over to give the momentum to Rajasthan.
Rajasthan Royals scored 144-9 with the help of Riyan Parag and R Ashwin. Parag scored 48 runs off 34 balls on his home ground. But the score wasn’t enough as Punjab Kings chased down the target in 18.5 overs with 5 wickets in hand. Skipper Sam Curran scored an unbeaten 63 off 41 balls to take his team to the victory.
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With this defeat, Rajasthan Royals have lost four matches in a row. They will hope to win their final league game against Kolkata Knight Riders which will boost their confidence before the playoffs.
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