Lungi Ngidi bowls joint most expensive 20th over as Archer blasts four sixes

After a fine outing in the IPL 2020 opener against Mumbai Indians, where Lungi Ngidi starred with 3/38, the South Africa bowler had a performance to forget against the Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday. Ngidi not only turned out expensive returns of 1/54, but had 30 off those scored off one, which the joint most expensive final over in the history of the IPL.

Ngidi hadn't bowled badly in his first three overs, giving away 24 and picking up the prized wicket of Sanju Samson, but it all went downhill when MS Dhoni gave him the ball in the final over. With a new man in Jofra Archer, Ngidi would have hoped to restrict RR to inside 200 but the England all-rounder had other plans.

Archer tucked into Ngidi launching him for four sixes - two of which came off no-balls – three coming off the first three balls of the over. After two sixes off two legal deliveries to kick off the 20th over, Ngidi overstepped twice, but Archer was not to back down. At one stage, he had conceded 27 off 2 deliveries courtesy of his two no-balls. After three balls, Ngidi however pulled things back a little, giving away three singles, to go with a dot ball and a wide. None the less, the final over had accounted for 30 runs.

Twice before in the history of the IPL has 30 runs been scored off the final over of an innings. Hardik Pandya had taken on Ashoke Dinda of Rising Pune Supergiant on during the 2017 season for being the first batsman to score 30 off the final over. The second time it happened was not too long ago. In fact, in the second game of this season, Marcus Stoinis and Anrich of Delhi Capitals had done the same off the bowling of Chris Jordan.