Gayle scores 40 as Punjab Kings defeat Rajasthan Royals in high-scoring thriller
Gayle hit four fours and two sixes in his 28-ball 40 as the Kings scored 221 for 6 in their 20 overs.
Gayle and KL Rahul put on 67 for the second wicket after they had lost Mayank Argawal for 14 with the score on 22.
Rahul and Deepak Hooda put on 105 for the third wicket, 64 of them coming from Hooda’s bat plundered four fours and sixes in his 28-ball bat.
Nicholas Pooran failed to trouble the scorers out first ball. Rahul eventually fell for 91 in the final over having hit seven fours and five sixes in his 50-ball innings. However, after has dismissed only one more run was scored from the remaining four deliveries.
Left-arm medium-pacer Chetan Sakariya claimed the wickets of Rahul Agarwal and Jyhe Richardson to return figures of 3-31 from his four overs.
Chris Morris, who got Gayle, took 2-41.
Needing 222 for victory, the Royals chase was led by Sanju Samson who a fantastic hundred. With his team needing five runs to win from the last ball, Samson was caught in the deep, going for a six over sweeper cover.
Arriving at the crease after Ben Stokes was out for a duck, Samson plundered the Kings bowling scoring 119 runs off just 63 balls during and hit 12 fours and seven magnificent sixes.
Unfortunately, he did not have much support as Jos Butler and Riyan Parag each had cameos before getting out for 25 but were unable to stay with Samson. Shivan Dube also got 23, but he, too, didn’t last long.
Asrshdeep Singh who got Samson’s vital wicket returned figures of 3-35. Mohammed Sami took 2-33.