IPL 2019 | Player Ratings - Rajasthan Royals choke against Kings XI Punjab for second time in 12-run defeat

Rahul Tripathi (7/10) - After being elevated in the batting order, it was pivotal for Rahul Tripathi to belt a big score in order to cement his spot in the line-up. He looked extremely comfortable opening the innings and got the ball rolling from the outset at Mohali. Tripathi got to his fifty but failed to get his side close to the total after he failed to clear the long-off boundary off Ashwin’s bowling.  

Ajinkya Rahane (3.5/10) - Rahane batted at 4 in this innings and didn’t waste any time whatsoever in getting the scoreboard ticking. Expectations raised from Rahane with the kind of start he got but he struggled with timing as the innings progressed. Not a good sign for the Mumbai-lad, whose form is just wobbling with every game and needs to set an example for the side with a big score under his belt. 

Stuart Binny (7/10) - With the asking rate climbing with every delivery, Royals were in desperate need of a cameo. Binny looked as if he was batting on a different wicket altogether the moment he took guard in Mohali. He ensured KXIP didn’t walk away with an easy win and tried his level best to get close to the target, but there is only so much he could do.  

Jofra Archer (8.5/10) - Who is going to stop England if this guy plays for them? After claiming a wicket at the cost of just three runs in his first spell, he ended up conceding 12 in his third -  an over where he dismissed Miller on a no-ball. But with a two-run two-wicket last over, he ensured that his figures read 3/15. An astonishing performance by one of the very best in the world. 

Sheyash Gopal (5/10) - If you have heard good things about Gopal during this year’s IPL, let me tell you - all of it is justified. On a pitch that did not have anything for the spinners, Gopal finishing with figures of 0/31 was as good as two wickets on a normal day. If he can add some wickets to his numbers on a regular basis, it could be the push that RR need to make a playoff run.

Jaydev Unadkat (1/10) - For a player who came into the match with an economy of 10.76 in the current season, he outdid himself by conceding at 12 an over. It wasn’t that he was smashed for two sixes by Gayle in the first over - every bowler goes through that - it was the fact that his inaccurate bowling allowed even a docile Rahul to open his arms. His over the top celebration after Rahul’s wicket meant that I had to take another point off him today.

Ish Sodhi (3/10) - With the wicket not offering the spinners a lot, Sodhi wouldn’t have been too pleased to replace Ben Stokes, who sat out with a hamstring injury, in the game. But he started off well conceding just 22 runs in the first three overs along with Mayank’s wicket. The last over though was a completely different story as he leaked a massive 19 runs to take his economy into double digits.