Twitter Reactions: Ravi Ashwin mankads Kings XI Punjab to their first win in Jaipur

Buttler's dismissal remained the talking point on Twitter.

By Aditya Gajanan Kukalyekar verified

View : 28.1K

2 Min Read

Ravichandran Ashwin
info
Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) got the better of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their opening game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Though the victory was not the only highlight of the game. Ravi Ashwin mankaded Jos Buttler when the match was interestingly poised and from there on, the proceeding completely turned Punjab’s way and the Royals couldn’t handle the pressure at all.

The chase began with Buttler and Ajinkya Rahane starting off well in the powerplay overs. They added 78 runs for the first wicket in eight overs. Ravi Ashwin struck the first blow by castling Rahane after which Sanju Samson and the juggernaut of runs continued for the Royals. Buttler unfurled some of the beautiful strokes in the shortest format to reach the 50-run mark.

He didn’t stop here and continued to bat well to leave the Royals fans in the frenzy. But in the 13th over Ashwin stopped in his delivery stride to mankad him and spark a controversy which no one saw coming. The batsman was adjudged out in the controversial circumstances and it all went haywire for the Royals. Though Steve Smith and Samson tried their best, the long boundaries went against them.

Smith was looking good but he was sent back thanks to a fantastic catch by KL Rahul and the game was sealed in the matter of time by the Kings XI Punjab. Royals could reach only 170 runs for the loss of nine wickets to concede the game by 14 runs in the end.

Gayle storm propels Punjab

Earlier, the Kings XI Punjab were invited to bat first by Ajinkya Rahane after winning the toss and they got off to a horrible start. KL Rahul was dismissed in the very first over by Dhawal Kulkarni thanks to a wonderful catch by Jos Buttler. Mayank Agarwal came in then as he and Chris Gayle steadied the ship albeit slowly. Agarwal looked good during his brief stint but Dhawal took a good catch to send him back.

At 60/2 in the ninth over of the innings, the visitors needed Gayle to get going with Sarfaraz Khan promoted to number four as well. Gayle was set and he suddenly launched an assault on Jaydev Unadkat and then spared literally nobody. In no time, the Universe Boss went past the 50-run mark and shifted to the third gear. The Royals had no idea about stopping the Gayle force.

It seemed as if the Caribbean will smash the first century of the season. But Ben Stokes bowled a short delivery which he pulled ferociously only for Rahul Tripathi to time his jump perfectly and grab a sensational catch. Nevertheless, Gayle had put his team ahead with a brilliant knock of 79 runs off 47 deliveries with eight fours and four sixes.

Sarfaraz Khan also made his presence felt and stayed unbeaten on 46 off just 29 balls with six fours and a solitary maximum as the KXIP posted 184 runs for the loss of four wickets after 20 overs. The score was eventually enough as the tourists registered their first victory by 14 runs. However, the win was not in the discussion at all and it was all about Ravi Ashwin mankading Buttler.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

Get every cricket updates! Follow Us:

googletelegraminstagramwhatsappyoutubethreadstwitter

Download Our App

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS and Google Play Store
IPL 2025Rajasthan Royals