IPL 2020: Rahul Tewatia smashes 5 sixes in an over as RR record highest-ever successful chase in IPL

Rahul Tewatia and Sanju Samson fired with the bat as Rajasthan Royals (RR) recorded the highest-ever run chase in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday.

Chasing the target of 224 set by King XI Punjab (KXIP), RR sealed the match with four wickets and three balls to spare. In 2008, RR successfully chased Deccan Chargers' target of 215 in the inaugural edition of 2008, which remained the highest successful chase for 16 years before Rajasthan bettered it with their result on Sunday.

After KXIP posted 223 for 2, RR had a disappointing start in the second innings when they lost their key man Jos Buttler in the third over for seven-ball four. RR captain Steven Smith and Sanju Samson brought RR's innings back on track as they put together 81 runs for the second wicket. After Smith's dismissal, Tewatia walked in to bat at No. 4. Samson, who earned the Player of the Match in RR's opening game of IPL 2020, once again lived up to the expectations. The Kerala batsman hammered seven sixes and four boundaries during his knock of 42-ball 85.

Soon after KXIP removed the eventual Man of the Match Samson for 85 off 42 delivries, KL Rahul's side had an edge as RR needed 63 runs off the final four overs. Tewatia, who hails from Haryana, was struggling as he had scored just 17 runs off 23 balls. The match took a wide turn when Sheldon Cottrell came to bowl the 18th over. Tewatia smashed the West Indian for four sixes before adding another one and that over changed the equation completely. The last batsman to score five sixes in an over in the IPL was Chris Gayle, who had achieved that against Rahul Sharma in IPL 2012.

From the final two overs, RR needed 21 runs and Tewatia was still at the crease. Even though KXIP fast bowler Mohammed Shami dismissed Robin Uthappa on the first delivery of the 19th over, that did not help Rahul's side. The new man in, Jofra Archer, smashed two consecutive sixes before Tewatia ended the over by adding another maximum to RR's account.

As RR scored 86 runs in their final five overs to seal a record win, KXIP batsman Mayank Agarwal's maiden IPL ton went in vain as it ended in a losing cause.

Mayank, who scored 106 off 50 balls, reached his century in just 45 balls and that was the second-fastest century registered by a KXIP batsman. Agarwal surpassed former KXIP batsman David Miller's 38-ball 101. Miller, who played for the Punjab franchise between 2012 and 2019, achieved the milestone during IPL 2013 match between KXIP and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Co-incidentally, Miller now plays for RR.

Overall, Agarwal now holds the record of the joint-seventh fastest IPL century along with Sri Lanka legend Sanath Jayasuriya, who had scored a 45-ball ton for Mumbai Indians (MI) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008.

After Sunday's match, the KXIP duo of Rahul and Mayank are in the top of the runs chart in IPL 2020, having scored 222 and 221 runs respectively from three matches. The next two batsmen in the list are CSK's Faf du Plessis (173) and Samson (159), who has played one game lesser than these players.