Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Shimron Hetmyer showcased his finishing prowess yet again in a pressure situation against Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 match on Saturday (April 13).
RR made things tricky for themselves by losing wickets continuously in the second half of the chase. PBKS batted first in the match and made 147/7 after a poor performance from their batting unit. RR got off to a decent start in the second innings with a 56-run opening partnership.
However, things changed after they lost their first wicket in the ninth over. Their middle-order batters could not get going against a relatively older ball and perished without scoring much, leaving RR needing 43 runs in the last four overs.
Shimron Hetmyer entered the crease in the 17th over after Riyan Parag's departure and took the onus on himself to take the game deep for RR. He held his nerves even though wickets kept falling at the other end and hit boundaries at crucial junctures to ensure Rajasthan Royals' safe passage to winning shores. Hetmyer finished the game in style with a four on the fifth ball of the final over against Arshdeep Singh.
You can watch the final moments of the match in the below posts:
"I am happy to pull off a victory for my team" - Shimron Hetmyer after his match-winning cameo in RR vs PBKS IPL 2024 clash
Speaking at the post-match presentation after winning the Player of the Match award, Shimron Hetmyer expressed satisfaction with finishing the game for his team. Reflecting on his knock of 27* (10), he said:
"I inside edged one onto my knees but I will be alright. It's all about practice. I like batting properly and then when everyone is finished in the nets I go out and try hitting those sixes. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't but I am happy to pull off a victory for my team. Well they creep in in the first couple of balls."
He continued:
"After that I just try to keep it as simple as possible. Yeah I would have taken the single. I was like even if I don't get the other one and get a single. Even if we didn't win it we could have tied it so it was always on the cards. While being away from family this is the only way you can keep yourself upbeat is by enjoying. I am waiting for my family to get here."
Rajasthan Royals are currently at the pole position in the points table with 10 points from six games. They will next face KKR on April 16 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
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