Rajasthan Royals (RR) hopes are alive for the playoff race in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 after they beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by four wickets at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Friday. They are now on the fifth spot in the points table with 14 points in their kitty.
The high-octane match between RR and PBKS witnessed an unusual event as RR’s aggressive batsman Shimron Hetmyer and PBKS star all-rounder Sam Curran got involved in a war of words.
Hetmyer played a cameo of 46 runs from just 28 balls to lead RR to a fighting win. However, he got engaged in a heated exchange with Curran after the batter reviewed decision on the fifth ball of the 17th over. When Hetmyer was adjudged caught behind, he signalled for a review straight away. Subsequently, Curran walked past Hetmyer and the duo exchanged words.
The decision was eventually overturned by the TV umpire and Hetmyer survived. After the end of the over, the duo exchanged words again, leading the crowd to erupt.
The tussle didn’t end there and the mind game continued in the 19th over when Curran came to bowl again. Hetmyer smashed him for a four on the first ball and circled him by putting his bat on his shoulder. The video of the incident has gone viral over various social media platforms.