IPL 2021: 3 Takeaways from PBKS' bowling against RR

Chasing 221 was never going to be an easy target for RR in their first match of IPL 2021 against PBKS, but they came within striking distance only to fall short by five runs after Arshdeep Singh bowled a fabulous last over under pressure.

Despite losing Ben Stokes for a duck, the powerplay saw some free-flowing runs come from RR skipper Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler's blade as PBKS leaked runs early on in the innings.

Samson led from the front with a scintillating century even as RR lost wickets at regular intervals. The Kerala batsman racked up a 63-ball 119, but couldn't get his team over the line.

After PBKS' terrific batting performance, it appeared as though it was the Mohali-based side's game to lose. However, RR gave KL Rahul's men a huge scare. Here's a quick look at how PBKS fared with their bowling.

1) Riley Meredith's not-so-welcoming IPL debut for PBKS

Riley Meredith's first over in the IPL went for 18 runs, with Jos Buttler cracking four fours off his first four deliveries. The extreme pace was just what the Englishman needed as he plundered runs to help RR keep up with the required run rate.

By the end of the first half, Meredith had bowled two overs and given away 27 runs. The only positive was that he almost dismissed Sanju Samson, but Mayank Agarwal and Shahrukh Khan converged for a skier, and ended up not going for it at all.

The reprieve was all that Samson thought he needed as he clobbered Meredith for a four and a six to continue his good run with the bat. The Aussie quick ended his spell with figures of 4-0-49-1.

2) PBKS bowlers need to shake off the rust

While Meredith was expensive, Murugan Ashwin erred in length and Jhye Richardson didn't look quite up to speed. Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh were promising, but the PBKS management will know there is work to be done if they stand any chance of defending their good totals.

At one stage, it appeared RR were poised to pull off a sensational chase before Richardson's ridiculously slower delivery rattled Jos Buttler's stumps. That said, the rest of the bowlers were guilty of giving away freebies thanks to their straying line and length.

3) Arshdeep Singh keeps his cool under pressure

Arshdeep Singh had a decent IPL 2020, bagging nine wickets in the eight games he played for the side. His economy of 8.77 remains on the higher side but there is enough promise that, if groomed, he could become one of PBKS' vital components.

In his outing against RR, Arshdeep got rid of Manan Vohra and Shivam Dube with both batsmen looking dangerous. He held his nerve to bowl a marvellous last over, defending 13 runs and prizing out Samson. Arshdeep finished with 3/35 from his four overs.