Rajasthan Royals snapped a two-game losing run to claim their first points of IPL 2025 after they beat Chennai Super Kings by six runs in Guwahati on Sunday.
Following heavy defeats to Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan made a fist out of an underwhelming total of 182/9 to keep CSK to six runs shy of their target, thus getting off bottom place on the points table.
When Nitish Rana was blazing his way to 81 off 36 balls, it seemed like RR would cross 200 with ease, but a few wickets during the middle overs pegged them back. Chennai’s chase lacked bite on a tricky surface on which Wanindu Hasaranga claimed 4/35 to help put the squeeze on the visiting team.
Chennai’s muddled batting order has left eyebrows raised, and this result was another example of an outdated approach. Barring the skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad with 63 off 44 deliveries, no CSK batsman showed the desired impetus and once more MS Dhoni walking out at No 7 has divided opinion. Riyan Parag bowling spin at Dhoni and Jadeja when CSK needed 54 off 24 deliveries proved a smart move, as Maheesh Theekshana conceded just six runs in the 18th over.
Put into bat by Gaikwad, RR got enough runs on the board in the end but at one stage they seemed set for over 200. Once Yashasvi Jaiswal drove a catch to mid-off in the opening over of the match, Rana walked out and wasted no time in stamping his presence. Khaleel Ahmed was steered for four second ball, then Jamie Overton took some tap as Rana flayed him over deep point for six in between two meaty whips off the pads for four. The sight of Ravichandran Ashwin brought out the sweep shot with successive deliveries sailing over square leg for six, and the third paddled for four.
Rana raced to his first IPL fifty in two season off a mere 21 deliveries and ended the Powerplay with another six off Khaleel, which took RR to 79/1 after six overs. Sanju Samson went moments later, out to the third ball from Noor Ahmad, but Rana did not slow down and went about scoring at nearly two runs per delivery.
The intent to attack Ashwin fetched him ten runs in two balls, but then the bowler had his man with a cleverly bowled wider delivery that lured Rana out of his crease for Dhoni to affect a simple stumping.
That wicket proved the turning point in RR’s innings. Matheesha Pathirana clung on to a low catch to send back Dhruv Jurel who became Noor’s second wicket, and then the Sri Lankan slinger bowled the ball of the game to york Parag for 37. Shimron Hetmyer also fell victim to Pathirana’s craft as Rajasthan lost four wickets in the span of 10 deliveries at the back end of their innings.
Chennai’s chase started off poorly with Rachin Ravindra out for a duck in the season’s first wicket-maiden over, bowled by Jofra Archer. Rahul Tripathi endured all sorts of problems against Archer, who really cranked up his pace, and then fell to Hasaranga’s first ball. The Sri Lankan mixed his pace well to force rash shots, and with only Gaikwad showing some fight – that too after a slow start – the CSK batting struggled to keep up.
Jadeja finished 32 not out off from 22 balls, Dhoni got 15 off 11 and Overton gave a brief scare with 11* from four in the last over, as RR got their first points of IPL 2025.
