Rajasthan Royals produced an impeccable bowling and fielding display and then collapsed with the bat to lose by 10-runs against the Lucknow Super Giants after choosing to bowl first in their IPL match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday.
Having restricted their visitors to a modest 154-7 the home side, returning to Jaipur for the first time in four years, looked on course for a straightforward victory before disintegrating to 144-6.
Jos Buttler (40) and fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (44) added 87 for the first wicket but the game twisted in the middle overs with the fall of three wickets in just two overs for the addition of just 10 runs.
Both were caught in the deep against Australian allrounder Marcus Stoinis before captain Sanju Samson (2) was carelessly run out as the total plunged from 87-0 to 97-3.
Avesh Khan (3-25) then compounded the implosion by dismissing Devdutt Padikkal (26) and Shimron Hetmyer (2) to inflict a dismissal on the log-leading Royals which may take several days to unpack.
Earlier, LSG openers KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers made a strangely pedestrian start scoring at barely above a run-a-ball on what is historically a high-scoring ground with captain Rahul eventually heaving Jason Holder to Buttler at long off to depart for 39 from 32 balls with four fours and a solitary six.
Mayers’ sparkling form has kept Quinton de Kock out of the tournament so far but he limped to 51 from 42 balls despite hitting four fours and three sixes before Ravichandran Ashwin bowled him.
Ayush Badoni (1) attempted to ramp-sweep the superb Trent Boult (4-1-16-1) and was bowled while Deepak Hooda (2) miscued a heave against Ashwin and holed out to midwicket in the desperate attempt to accelerate in the final overs.
Stoinis also struggled on a two-paced pitch with 21 from 16 balls while Trinidadian Nicholas Pooran managed a pair of fours and a solitary six in his 28 from 20 balls before ‘keeper Sanju Samson ran him out in the final over with a direct hit.
Boult was the standout bowler for the Royals although 36-year-old Ashwin was barely less influential with figures of 4-0-23-2.
The Royals remain at the top of the log with four wins from their six games but are now joined on eight points by the Super Giants.
RAJASTHAN ROYALS: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (captain & wkt), Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jason Holder, Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal
LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS: KL Rahul (captain), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran (wkt), Ayush Badoni, Naveen-ul-Haq, Avesh Khan, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Ravi Bishnoi