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Mullanpur. With half-centuries from Marcus Stoinis and opener Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab Kings scored 222 runs for four wickets against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday. Stoinis, batting brilliantly, scored an unbeaten 62 runs in 22 balls with six sixes and four fours, while Prabhasimran (44 balls, six fours, one six) scored 59 runs.

Apart from scoring a half-century, Prabhasimran also made a partnership of 59 runs for the second wicket with Cooper Connolly (30) and 48 runs for the third wicket with captain Shreyas Iyer (30). Due to Stoinis’ stormy innings, Punjab Kings team was successful in adding 55 runs in the last three overs. Leg spinner Yash Raj Punja was the most successful bowler for Royals, taking two wickets for 41 runs. Nandre burgers proved to be quite expensive. He took one wicket for 59 runs.

Electing to bat after losing the toss, Punjab Kings made a good start by scoring 65 runs for one wicket in the power play. Prabhsimran Singh opened the account with a four on Jofra Archer while Priyansh Arya (29) hit three fours and a six on consecutive balls of Nandre Berger. Priyansh also hit two fours on Archer in the next over but then gave an easy catch to Burger. Cooper Connolly (30) welcomed leg spinner Yash Raj Punja with two consecutive sixes and then sent Ravindra Jadeja’s ball into the audience.

However, Connolly, while trying to play a big shot in Yash’s next over, gave an easy catch to Donovan Ferreira at long off. Prabhasimran took the team’s score past 100 runs in the ninth over with a four off Yash and then completed his fourth half-century of the current season in 35 balls with a single off Jadeja. Captain Shreyas Iyer also hit a six off Yash after a slow start but Prabhasimran waved the leg spinner’s ball in the air and gave an easy catch to captain Ryan Parag.

Prabhasimran hit six fours and one six in his 44-ball innings. Marcus Stoinis hit a six and a four on consecutive balls of Burger in the 18th over, but Iyer waved the ball in the air and was caught by wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. Stoinis hit two consecutive sixes on Archer in the next over and then in the last over of the innings, he completed his half-century in 20 balls with three fours and two sixes on consecutive balls of Brijesh Sharma and also took the team’s score beyond 200 runs.