Smith, Ojha power Rajasthan to highest IPL total

Graeme Smith and Naman Ojha ripped apart Kings XI Punjab's bowling as Rajasthan Royals amassed 211 for four, the highest total of the second Indian Premier League today.

Put into bat by Punjab, Smith (77) and Ojha (68) struck blazing fifties and combined for a 135-run opening stand, also the biggest partnership of the tournament. Rajasthan were off to their best start of the event, making 92 runs in their 10 overs before the strategy break.

Playing only his second IPL match, Ojha was sent in to open the innings with Smith and the 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman justified the move with his 51-ball knock. Smith, out of sorts so far in the event, was cautious to start with but soon cut loose to send Punjab bowlers on a leather hunt.

The South African's innings came off just 44 balls and was studded with 12 boundaries and a six. He was dismissed in the 15th over while trying to loft a Ramesh Powar delivery over long on, only to be caught by Piyush Chawla. But before that, Smith and Ojha had laid the foundation for a big total for Rajasthan.

Ojha, who was dismissed for a duck in his first match, gave a perfect start to Rajasthan's innings, hitting Powar for two massive sixes and a four in the very first over.

The right-hander struck five boundaries and an equal number of sixes during his knock before an attempted slog went wrong and Simon Katich caught him at deep midwicket off Piyush Chawla.

Ravindra Jadeja's 33-run cameo that came off just 12 balls then helped Rajasthan go past the 200-mark.

Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh tried seven bowlers in a bid to stop the run flow but none could do the trick for him.

Punjab and the tournament's most successful bowler Yusuf Abdulla conceded 44 runs without picking up a wicket in the three overs that he bowled.

S Sreesanth, playing his first IPL game after recovering from a back injury, was not as expensive to start with but was taken to task in his fourth and final over, which left him with figures of 0/44.

Powar's only wicket of Smith proved way too costly as he ended up giving away 33 runs in three overs he bowled. Chawla was the most successful for Punjab with figures of 2/30 in his four overs.