Jaiswal masters tough conditions with fluent 75 as Royals post 173/4 against RCB
Jaipur, Apr 13 (PTI): Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal appeared to be batting on a different surface as he hit a sublime 47-ball 75 to power Rajasthan Royals to 173/4 in challenging conditions against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL clash here on Sunday.
On a tacky Sawai Mansingh Stadium pitch where the ball stayed low and lacked pace, Jaiswal's strokeplay stood out after RCB won a good toss.
The 23-year-old struck 10 fours and two sixes, handling the testing conditions with remarkable poise even as the others around him struggled to get going.
After Jaiswal's departure, Dhruv Jurel got a reprieve from Virat Kohli and played the finisher's role with aplomb, striking a 23-ball 35 not out with two fours and two sixes as RR managed 59 runs in the last five overs.
After negotiating a disciplined opening spell from RCB's pace attack, led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal, Jaiswal teed off in the fifth over, hitting a six and a four off Yash Dayal.
He reached his second fifty of the season in 35 balls and ensured Royals maintained momentum through the middle overs.
Unlike his skipper Sanju Samson, who looked scratchy during his 13 off 16 balls, Jaiswal played with clarity and composure.
Samson, bogged down by seven dot balls and tight bowling, survived a run-out chance on 3 but was eventually stumped by Jitesh Sharma after misjudging a low delivery from Krunal Pandya, who bowled well.
Jaiswal, however, looked in complete control. He pierced the field with finesse, employing reverse sweeps and lap shots.
His strong back-foot game also came into play, as he cut and pulled effectively.
He found solid support from Riyan Parag, who looked fluent during his 30-run knock that included a six and three fours.
The duo added 56 runs for the second wicket off just 39 balls.
Parag, however, couldn't capitalise on a life he received on 13, when Dayal dropped a straightforward catch at point off Suyash Sharma's bowling.
He eventually fell in the 14th over to Dayal's well-guised slower back-of-the-hand delivery, mistiming it to Kohli at short cover.
Jaiswal continued to innovate, scooping Hazlewood for a six over fine leg. He followed it up with a thick edge through third man for four, but Hazlewood had the last word. In the same over, Jaiswal missed a sweep across the line to a full delivery and was trapped plumb in front.
RCB's fielding woes continued with Kohli dropping a routine catch of Jurel on 11.
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
