IPL 2020, RR vs KXIP: Player Ratings as Rahul Tewatia pulls off miraculous run-chase

Match 9 of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) featured the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) facing off against each other, and the game was another high-scoring thriller.

Mayank Agarwal's first IPL hundred and KL Rahul's excellent supporting knock took KXIP to a massive total of 224, and in response, Steve Smith and Sanju Samson played world-class knocks. But the man who hogged the limelight was Rahul Tewatia, who shrugged off a slow start to help RR pull off the highest run-chase in the history of the IPL.

Here are the player ratings from the RR vs KXIP IPL 2020 game.

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IPL 2020, RR vs KXIP: KXIP Player Ratings

Mayank Agarwal scored his first IPL hundred [PC; iplt20.com]

KL Rahul: 7/10

Rahul was more than happy to let his opening partner grab the limelight, and rotated strike effectively. He finished on a 54-ball 69, but he could have arguably taken the attack to the opposition earlier with a number of batsmen yet to come. The KXIP skipper made the curious call of giving Glenn Maxwell his third over, and those six balls altered the course of the run-chase.

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Mayank Agarwal: 9.5/10

Agarwal played the innings of his life against RR, registering his first IPL hundred and dominating every single opposition bowler. The Karnataka batsman has formed one of the best opening combinations in IPL 2020 with KL Rahul. However, much like his 80 in KXIP's first IPL 2020 game, this innings went in vain.

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Karun Nair: 5/10

Nair didn't get to bat in this game due to the brilliance of the KXIP top order.

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Nicholas Pooran: 8/10

Pooran added the finishing touches to the KXIP innings with a 8-ball 25, which was an innings that featured 1 four and 3 sixes. The West Indian also pulled off one of the saves of the IPL 2020 season on the boundary, an effort that had even Jonty Rhodes saluting him.

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Glenn Maxwell: 6.5/10

Maxwell hit a couple of boundaries towards the end of the KXIP innings, and bowled a couple of wonderful overs over the course of which he conceded only 8 runs. However, his third over (the 16th of the RR innings) was taken for 21 runs by Samson.

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Sarfaraz Khan: 5.5/10

Sarfaraz didn't get to bat for the second game in a row, but he took an sharp catch to dismiss Jos Buttler.

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Jimmy Neesham: 6.5/10

Much like Sarfaraz, Neesham didn't get to bat in this game as well. The Kiwi was decent with the ball although he conceded 40 runs, and his wicket of Steve Smith was a major turning point in the game.

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Murugan Ashwin: 5/10

Ashwin picked up 3 wickets in the last game, but was given only 1 over before the final over of the innings. He went for 16 runs in the 1.3 overs that he bowled, but picked up the wicket of Riyan Parag in the last over to give KXIP some hope.

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Mohammed Shami: 6/10

Shami picked up 3 of the 4 RR wickets to fall today - Sanju Samson, Rahul Tewatia and Robin Uthappa. However, the KXIP spearhead was far from his best as he conceded 53 runs in his 4 overs, including two game-changing sixes to Jofra Archer in his final over.

Check the IPL 2020 purple cap list here.

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Sheldon Cottrell: 2/10

Cottrell bowled his first 2 overs for 22 runs and picked up the important wicket of Jos Buttler, but he effectively lost the game for KXIP in the 18th over. Carted for 5 sixes by a Rahul Tewatia who looked woefully out of form, the West Indian was the biggest reason behind his team's loss in this game.

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Ravi Bishnoi: 7/10

Although he didn't pick up a wicket, Bishnoi was the pick of the KXIP bowlers. Choking Tewatia with his googlies and troubling even Samson at times, the young leggie finished with figures of 0/34 in his 4 overs and was the most economical bowler on the night.

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IPL 2020, RR vs KXIP: RR Player Ratings

Sanju Samson lit up IPL 2020 once again [PC: iplt20.com]

Jos Buttler: 2/10

Buttler made his first appearance of IPL 2020 after serving his quarantine period, but didn't even find the boundary. The Englishman may have been rushed into things, and he'll want to have some proper net sessions before the next game.

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Steve Smith: 7/10

Smith scored a blistering 27-ball 50 that threatened to take the game away from KXIP very early in the innings, but perished while trying to clear the extra cover boundary. RR needed their captain to play an Agarwal-like innings, but he couldn't take his chance. Smith also missed a trick by not bowling Jofra Archer with the brand new ball.

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Sanju Samson: 8/10

Samson was once again the man of the moment for RR in Sharjah as he scored a 42-ball 85. The Kerala batsman was put under massive pressure by Rahul Tewatia, and despite his best efforts, succumbed in the 17th over. However, he was deservedly awarded the Man of the Match for the second game running.

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Robin Uthappa: 7/10

Uthappa hit two boundaries in the four balls that he faced, and although he wasn't there at the crease when the winning runs were hit, his 9 runs was a significant contribution to the RR cause.

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Riyan Parag: 3/10

Parag played a mindless sweep in the final over with only 2 runs required, and the young batsman really should value his wicket more in pressure situations. He hasn't gotten a chance to bowl yet, but saved a certain six on the boundary today.

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Rahul Tewatia: 7.5/10

By the 16th over of the RR innings, Tewatia had had one of the worst games of his life. His only over had gone for 19 runs, and he was stuck on 14 off 21 balls in a run-chase of 224 after having come in at No. 4 ahead of Uthappa.

However, the 27-year-old turned things around, and how! Hitting Sheldon Cottrell for 5 sixes in the 18th over and pumping Mohammed Shami for another in the 19th, Tewatia took RR to a famous win.

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Jofra Archer: 5/10

Archer had a horrible day with the ball in hand as he struggled to hit the right areas, often too short or too wide. The Englishman conceded 46 runs in his 4 overs and didn't pick up a wicket, but redeemed himself by smashing Shami for two sixes off the first two balls that he faced.

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Tom Curran: 5/10

Curran gave away 44 runs in his 4 overs, and scalped centurion Agarwal in the 17th over. He also hit the winning runs for RR in the final over, but his performance was nothing to write home about.

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Shreyas Gopal: 4.5/10

Gopal had an off-day today, conceding 44 runs in his 4 overs without ever threatening to pick up wickets. The Karnataka leggie was taken to the cleaners by Agarwal, and the short boundaries at Sharjah didn't help his cause.

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Jaydev Unadkat: 3/10

Given the new ball ahead of Archer, Unadkat turned in yet another miserable performance. Predictable slower balls and venom-less short balls marred his spell as he conceded 30 runs in his 3 overs and never really looked like picking up wickets.

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Ankit Rajpoot: 6.5/10

Surprisingly, Rajpoot was the best RR bowler in display. Although he didn't do too well in the powerplay, he executed the team's plans quite well at the death by bowling to his field. The former KXIP pacer finished with figures of 1/39 in his 4 overs.