RR did double over MS Dhoni’s CSK, reached the top again in IPL 2023. Cricket
After consecutive defeats, Rajasthan Royals got back to winning ways and went on top of the Indian Premier League points table with a 32-run win against Chennai Super Kings on Thursday.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 43-ball 77 at the top of the order and Dhruv Jurel (34 off 15) and Devdutt Padikkal (27 off 13) brilliant 43-ball 77s towards the end, RR Sawai Mansingh for 202 ended with /5. Stadium – the biggest IPL ever in Jaipur – after opting to bat first.
Despite Shivam Dube’s 33-ball 52, CSK could never get on top of the chase and were restricted to 170/6. Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Co. slipped to the second spot as RR completed the double over them this season.
Jaiswal was in good touch from the beginning. He hit Akash Singh for three of the first four balls of the match, after which the left-arm pacer hit three fours and a six in the second over. On his way to his third half-century of the season, the left-handed batsman showed once again why he is one of the most exciting Indian prospects.
Rajasthan scored 85/0 in eight overs even as Jos Buttler had a comparatively off night with the bat (27 off 21). Tushar Deshpande dismissed the star England opener in the ninth over before dismissing Jaiswal and skipper Sanju Samson (17 off 17) in the 14th over. To make matters worse for RR, Shimron Hetmyer too soon fell cheaply (8 off 10).
Chennai had a good phase from 14th to 17th over and gave only 28 runs. But RR came back strongly, scoring 49 runs in the last three overs thanks to Jurel and Padikkal.
Mahesh Thikshana (1/24) bowled with great skill and control but his Sri Lankan compatriot Mathisha Pathirana was expensive with figures of 0/48.
In reply, CSK got their lowest powerplay total (42/1) this season as Sandeep Sharma, in particular, was brilliant, conceding just eight runs in two overs. Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad continued his impressive run, scoring 47 off 29 balls, but was dismissed by Adam Zampa in the 10th over.
A big moment in the contest came in the 11th over when R Ashwin dismissed the in-form Ajinkya Rahane and Ambati Rayudu in the space of three balls. After being reduced to 73/4, CSK needed a partnership and they got one quickly thanks to Shivam Dube and Moeen Ali (23 off 12).
Dubey scored his third consecutive half-century and gave CSK a ray of hope by hitting four sixes in his innings. Eventually, the target proved too big as RR bowled with discipline and conceded just 45 runs in the last five overs. Dubey and Ravindra Jadeja (23* off 15 balls) shared a 46-run partnership for the sixth wicket but it was not nearly enough.
Sharma may have returned wicketless, but he bowled a high-class spell of 0/24, while Zampa was one of the bowlers with 3/22.
