IPL 2023: Rajasthan Royals survives Dhoni scare, beats CSK by three runs

Rajasthan Royals recorded its first win in 14 years towards Chennai Super Kings on the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, regardless of a large M.S. Dhoni scare throughout a three-run triumph on Wednesday.

Leading in his 2 hundredth IPL recreation as CSK captain, Dhoni had a sizeable process together with his crew requiring 21 runs within the final over. Sandeep Sharma lightened the load with a few wides earlier than Dhoni carted him for 2 sixes. The seamer, nonetheless, landed his final three balls within the blockhole as Royals succeeded in defending 175 on a two-paced strip.

Sandeep had jolted CSK early in its chase when he dismissed an in-form Ruturaj Gaikwad within the third over. However, Ajinkya Rahane and Devon Conway staged a restoration, lifting CSK previous 50 as visiting captain Sanju Samson was compelled to shuffle via six bowlers by the seventh over.

While Conway made up for a gradual begin, Royals took a leaf out of Dhoni’s copybook and managed the sport with spin. Ravichandran Ashwin trapped Rahane on 31 in his second over and the strain of the chase started to cripple a CSK middle-order that has but to take form this season. Ashwin bossed Shivam Dube with a fast slider onto the pads earlier than Yuzvendra Chahal eliminated affect substitute Ambati Rayudu and half-centurion Conway within the fifteenth over.

Teaming up with Ravindra Jadeja, Dhoni (32 n.o., 17b, 1×4, 3×6) displayed no indicators of rust within the chase. However, RR ensured that 63 runs from the final 5 had been past CSK’s attain.

Earlier, Jadeja had spun the momentum in CSK’s method after Dhoni elected to bowl first. While a top-order disaster pegged Royals again, Buttler and makeshift No. 5 Ashwin (30, 22b, 1×4, 2×6) helped the crew regain management. Shimron Hetmyer’s unbeaten 18-ball 30 then added the ending touches.

Jadeja put Royals underneath the pump when he dismissed a promising Devdutt Padikkal and captain Samson with a pearler that spun previous him within the ninth over. Samson succumbed to his second consecutive duck, however can be glad that Ashwin and his bowlers prevailed within the spin cauldron this time.