Warne's Rajasthan open playoffs race

The result: Rajasthan Royals 8-158 (Buttler 82, Tye 4-34) defeated Kings XI Punjab (KL Rahul 95no, Gowtham 2-12) by 15 runs.

The match in a tweet: Twin tower innings and a Tye haul the highlights as Rajasthan leave the door open for a playoffs spot #RRvKXIP

The lone hand: KL Rahul’s stunning form for Kings XI continued with an unbeaten-95 very nearly helping his side to an unlikely victory. What seemed a small target to chase became increasingly difficult after the top order were dismantled, but Rahul as usual played the anchor role and found runs where others couldn’t. His lap-sweeps were as remarkable as his brute power, one of just two players – the other being Marcus Stoinis with 11 – to post a double-digit score. His innings contributed a whopping 66.43 per cent of the Punjab side’s total, the fourth-highest in IPL history, and he hit 11 of the 13 boundaries Kings were able to find. It also didn’t help that skipper Ravi Ashwin elevated himself to No.3 (having only batted in the top five positions five times in 69 attempts) and was part of a spell that saw the Royals claim three wickets for five runs.

The Warne influence: The most economical bowler in Jaipur was Kiwi tweaker Ish Sodhi who sent down four overs for just 14 runs, claiming the key wicket of Akshdeep Nath (9). Sodhi, a leg-spinner, has cricket’s greatest ever exponent of the art form in his corner with Shane Warne a mentor at Rajasthan and it showed with his control and accuracy. Warne was impressed with the spell, applauding him at every occasion. "Sodhi is a talent, and it has been great fun working with him and trying to get into his brain," Warne said.

The emotional four: On the same day his Grandmother passed away in the United Kingdom, Andrew Tye suited up for Kings XI and showed enormous courage with the ball. He claimed the first wicket of Ajinkye Rahane (9) and then roared in the final over to claim three wickets and finish with figures of 3-34, using pace variations and bounce to outsmart the opposition. He was clearly emotional post-match, dedicating his wickets to his late grandparent in a post-match interview alongside Graeme Smith.

The next stop: Rajasthan’s victory effectively means two spots remain open for the playoffs race with Kings XI missing out on an opportunity to secure a place in the final four. The Royals face the Chennai Super Kings on Saturday morning with a chance to get even higher on the IPL table whilst third plays fourth when Kings XI Punjab meet Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday night in a must-win clash for both sides.

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