After Shikhar Dhawan’s 85-run knock, Nathan Ellis claimed a four-fer to take Punjab Kings to a thrilling five-run win over Rajasthan Royals in Match 8 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) here at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Shikhar Dhawan’s unbeaten 85 along with Prabhsimran Singh’s maiden fifty helped Punjab Kings (PBKS) set a 198-run target. In reply, after a slow start, the Royals threatened to steal the game but fell short by five runs in the chase.

RR started the chase with a strange batting line-up as Ravichandran Ashwin came in to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal as Buttler went off the field immediately after taking the catch in the last over.

Jaiswal started with an impressive six over square leg. In the next over, Arshdeep Singh struck to dismiss the in-form Jaiswal for 11 and Buttler came in to bat.

Sam Curran almost got Buttler in the third over, who flicked a pull toward Harpreet Brar charging in towards deep square leg but as he fell, the ball popped out of his grasp. Then, Buttler capitalised on the drop catch with an amazing boundary over mid-wicket.

In the next over, Arshdeep removed Ashwin to reduce the Royals to 26/2 within four overs. After a dot ball, Samson went for a six and completed 1000 runs for RR as a captain.

Samson and Buttler took RR bowlers to cleaners with their well-timed shots before Nathan Ellis caught and bowled the big fish Buttler for 19. The royals were reeling 57/3 at the end of the Power-play.

Buttler went on to drive straight but an inside edge come off the pads and the ball popped up off the pad. Ellis was quick on the follow-through as he ran forward, dived, and completed the catch.

Ellis struck again in the 11th over to pile further misery on Royals as he trapped skipper Sanju Samson for 42, reducing RR to 91-4 and home favourite Riyan Parag came into bat.

With 12 runs needed per over for a win, the onus was on the young duo, Devdutt Padikkal, and Parag, to take their side over the line.

Parag infused life into the game with a six off Rahul Chahar into the mid-wicket in the 12th over. He then pumped over the long-on for another one in the next over.

Ellis claimed his third wicket in the 15th over, dismissing Parag for 20 off 12. Parag tried for a flat over long-off and the ball went in the air towards long-off, then Shahrukh Khan ran forward and completed the catch with ease.

In the same over, Ellis cleaned up Padikkal on a length ball, claiming his fourth and making the task tougher for the Royals.

Then, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel went for hits to keep the hope alive, bringing the equation to 34 runs in 12 balls.

In the penultimate over, after a dot and a wide, Jurel hit one bounce four on Arshdeep’s Yorker and followed it up with a maximum to deep extra cover, in the process he completed the fastest fifty-run partnership off just 20 balls.

He then hit a boundary over on the next ball and brought the equation to 16 in 6. On the next ball, Hetmyer tried to heave over deep midwicket and the ball went mile high. Then Ellis charged in and slide for a chance but the ball burst through his hands.

Sam Curran started the final over by giving a single and a double. On the third ball of the over, Hetmyer got run out, and 12 was needed in three to win. But Curran held his nerves and gave away just seven runs off the next three deliveries as PBKS wrapped up the win by 5 runs.

Brief scores: Punjab Kings 197/4 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 86 not out, Prabhsimran Singh 60; Jason Holder 2-29) beat Rajasthan Royals 192/7 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 42, Shimron Hetmyer 36; Nathan Ellis 4-30, Arshdeep Singh 2-47) by 5 runs