Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka couldn’t contain himself and leapt out of his seat, fists pumping and emotions spilling over as Avesh Khan sealed a heart-stopping two-run win over the Rajasthan Royals. Head coach Rahul Dravid sat motionless, his expression telling the story of a season that continues to spiral.
Rajasthan Royals' suffer another heartbreak
It was the second time in just four days that the Royals stumbled in a chase needing nine runs from the final over.
Defending 181 runs, Lucknow Super Giants looked to have lost the match when Yashasvi Jaiswal notched up his third consecutive fifty and young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi dazzled on debut. Rajasthan needing just 25 runs from the final three overs with two set batters at the crease.
However Avesh Khan turned the tides for the visiting team. In the 18th over, the pacer dismissed both Jaiswal and Riyan Parag in quick succession to get his team back in the match. Shimron Hetmyer's two boundaries off Prince Yadav in the 19th over reignited the hopes of winnign the match
With 9 runs off the final six balls Avesh held the nerves of steel and delivered a yorker-filled final over. He knocked over Hetmyer with a peach on the third ball and then took a painful blow to his hand on the final delivery to stop a potential match-winning shot.
As Avesh lay grimacing in pain and the Super Giants erupted in celebration, the camera panned to a silent Rajasthan dugout.
Where does Royals stand after latest defeat to Lucknow?
With six losses in eight games, the 2008 champions are languishing at eighth on the table. Alarmingly, four of those defeats have come while chasing
