Mumbai, May 07: They say catches win matches! Last night, Mayank Agarwal & Manoj Tiwary’s (of Kings XI Punjab) catch to dismiss Ben Stokes (of Rajasthan Royals) at a crucial juncture in the match is a perfect testimony to it. In what could be the contender of one of the best catches in this season, the relay catch to send Stokes’ back in the hut, ensured that KXIP had dented all hopes of RR’s late surge in the match.

The marvellous catch on the long-on boundary saw Ben Stokes, who had started to look dangerous, being dismissed on 12 runs off Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s bowling. After his dismissal, the Ajinkya Rahane-led team could only add 52 runs in the last 7 overs.

Can Mayank Agarwal & Manoj Tiwary’s catch to dismiss Ben Stokes be termed the best in IPL 2018?

Over 12.5: Mujeeb Ur Rahman to Ben Stokes; the RR all-rounder tries to smack the loopy delivery out of the park but it CAUGHT OUT by Mayank Agarwal & eventually Manoj Tiwary.

What made it a special catch was the perfect sync displayed while overbalancing and nearly crossing the boundary rope with the ball. Mayank Agarwal who was stationed at the long-on boundary kept his cool as he tried to hold on to an overhead catch. However, knowing that he would fall and touch the boundary ropes, he tossed the ball towards Manoj Tiwary (who was a mere spectator till then) to a catchable height, and eventually, he completed the relay catch.

Watch How Mayank Agarwal & Manoj Tiwary Teamed Up To Dismiss Ben Stokes:

The complete sequence was so fluent that it made the tough catch look very easy. The dismissal, however, punctured RR’s chances to go berserk in the latter half of their innings – something which cost them the match, and possibly a spot in the IPL 2018 Playoffs.

Watch Mayank Agarwal's post-match reaction to (arguably) the best catch of IPL 2018:

Mujeeb Ur Rahman who had a great game last night ended it with the match figures of 4-0-27-3. He picked up wickets of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, and Jofra Archer – the three most dangerous hitters in RR’s line-up. So far, the 17-year-old spinner has picked up 11 wickets in the 9 matches for KXIP this season.

KXIP defeated RR in the 39th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018, on Sunday. With this win, KXIP has climbed to the No. 3 spot in the IPL Points Table, as they have now won 6 out of their 9 matches they have played this season. For Rajasthan Royals, they are now at the bottom spot in the latest team standings with only 3 wins in 9 games, so far in the season.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 07, 2018 09:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).