Swapnil Asnodkar and Mohammad Kaif helped Rajasthan Royals post a defendable total of 162 for 5 in the 20 overs against the Middlesex Panthers at the Lord’s on Monday. The inaugural IPL champions were asked to bat first in the one-off charity match to raise funds for the British Asian Trust.

In a match interrupted by rain, the Rajasthan openers got the innings off to a flier with Faiz Fazal scoring a quickfire 22-ball 27, which included two big hits into the stands.

Fazal was ably supported by Asnodkar at the other end, who took over the reins once the left-hander was out to a Murali Kartik delivery. Kartik was the pick of the bowlers for the Panthers, finishing with figures of 1 for 18 from his four overs.

Kaif (41), promoted to number three, continued to pile on the runs in the middle overs with Asnodkar (41) as the two added 50 runs for the third-wicket. Rajasthan’s total was given a further boost late in the innings by Dmitri Mascarenhas, who smashed a 16-ball 32 which included two hits to the boundary and one going the distance.

Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne had left the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas midway to lead his team in what would be his final appearance on English soil as a cricketer. “Things might get a bit emotional today as I reckon it will be my last appearance as a player in this country,” Warne wrote in his column for The Times.

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