Rajasthan Royals pip Knight Riders via 'Super Over' drama

Newlands Stadium witnessed intense drama as Rajasthan Royals pipped Kolkata Knight Riders via 'Super Over' in an edge-of-the-seat thriller in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday.
Put into bat, Rajasthan Royals had earlier managed 150 for six, a total they owed largely to Yusuf Pathan (42) even though it was Abhishek Raut (21 not out) who provided the late charge for them.
Chasing a victory target of 151, Chris Gayle (41) sizzled at the top while Sourav Ganguly (46) too shone as the Knight Riders managed exactly 150 for eight in their allotted 20 overs.
In the 'Super Over', Knight Riders managed 15 runs off Kamran Khan's over with Chris Gayle scoring 13 off it before being dismissed in the final ball.
In reply, Rajasthan Royals scored 18 off Ajantha Mendis' first four balls with Yusuf Pathan hitting 6,2,6 and 4 to seal the win.
Earlier defending the modest total, Royals captain Shane Warne sprung a surprise by opening the attack with Yusuf Pathan but it was his former Hampshire mate Dimitry Mascarenhas who drew first blood by removing a struggling Brendon McCullum (3).
At the other end, Gayle had warmed up by hitting Mascarenhas for back-to-back sixes and was not content yet. In his next over, Mascarenhas was hit for another six, preceded by a four, as Gayle looked in murderous mood. Stepping in to stop the run flow, Warne too copped one but the wily Aussie eventually had the last laugh in his duel with Gayle as he lured the West Indian to go after him and Ravindra Jadeja took a well judged catch in the deep.
Warne's then came up with two masterstrokes that pegged back the Kolkata outfit. Kamran Khan removed Laxmi Ratan Shukla (13), who lived dangerously all along, in his first over while Munaf got rid of Brad Hodge (5) with his fifth delivery.
His team in dire straits, Ganguly tip-toed his way before back-to-back sixes off Munaf, the second from a free-hit, eased the pressure on him.
Yashpal Singh (20) gave him good company before departing in the penultiamate over and Ganguly too fell in the final over.
Needing two off the last ball, Ishant Sharma managed to complete the first run before running himself out, leading to the stalemate.
Earlier, Yousuf Pathan's 21-ball 42 and Abhishek Raut's unbeaten 13-ball cameo of 21 helped the Royals reach the 150-mark.
Put into bat after a rain-delayed start, the Rajasthan outfit ran into rough weather, losing opener Paul Valthaty (5) and Rob Quiney (6) inside 14 balls. Pathan, however, looked his nonchalant self, hitting Ishant for a six and following it with a boundary before sending Anureet Singh out of the park.
In contrast, Ajantha Mendis, having made his much-awaited IPL II debut, needed just seven balls to taste success, getting rid of a subdued Graeme Smith (15).
The Sri Lankan mystery spinner then dealt a body blow in his next over when the rampaging Pathan miscued a skier that had Yashpal Singh under it.
With Ganguly and Gayle also maintaining a stifling line and length, the Royals went through eight long overs without hitting a six or four as the run rate nosedived.
Ravindra Jadeja (22) perished trying to step up as did Dimitry Mascarenhas (27) before Raut came to their rescue.