During the IPL 2024 match Rajasthan Royals (RR) allroundeÂr Ravichandran Ashwin astounded fans with a boundaryinducing switch hit against Punjab Kings (PBKS). The exhilarating clash took place at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on a sunny WedneÂsday May 15. Ashwins tactical promotion in the batting order came on the heels of RR losing three wickets in just 7.2 overs.
After playing cautiously for a few overs, Ravichandran Ashwin chose to raise the stakes in the 12th over, bowled by leg-spinner Rahul Chahar. He started with a six over the long-on region on the fourth ball. Ravichandran Ashwin then swapped stances and smashed a boundary over backward point, demonstrating his repertoire of skills to everyone. He finished the over on a high note with an inside-out stroke on the following ball, scoring four more runs.
Watch the shot in the video below:
Rajasthan Royals Post 144/9 in First Innings of IPL 2024 Clash Against PBKS
RR captain Sanju Samson won the toss and chose to bat first on the new pitch in Guwahati. The host team got off to a terrible start as PBKS skipper Sam Curran dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal (4) in the opening over.
Sanju Samson (18) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (18) then failed to score easily on the powerplay on a two-speed circuit. Samson left in the seventh over, and Kohler-Cadmore followed in the next, leaving RR at 42/3.
Riyan Parag and Ravichandran Ashwin (28) put on a 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket to keep things stable. However, RR lost the plot once Ashwin left at the conclusion of the 13th over, as they continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Parag remained at one end and contributed a solid knock of 48 (34) to assist his team to a decent score of 144/9.
Sam Curran, Harshal Patel, and Rahul Chahar each took two wickets for PBKS in the bowling department.