The Rajasthan Royals took down the Chennai Super Kings by six runs in a nail-biting match. Rajasthan set the pace with 182 runs, but Chennai struggled to keep up.
Chennai’s innings got off to a shaky start. They lost their first wicket in the very first over when Jofra Archer took out Ruturaj Gaikwad’s opening partner, Devon Conway, for a duck. Gaikwad and Rahul Tripathi then tried to steady the ship with a 46-run partnership.
But when Tripathi fell to Wanindu Hasaranga for 23, Chennai’s troubles deepened. Shivam Dube tried to make an impact with 18 runs off 10 balls, including two sixes and a four, but his dismissal left Chennai reeling. Vijay Shankar’s nine runs off seven balls weren’t enough, and he too fell to Hasaranga.
Gaikwad held firm, scoring 63 off 44 balls with seven fours and a six, but even he couldn’t escape Hasaranga’s clutches. And when he fell in the 16th over, Chennai needed 54 runs off 25 balls. MS Dhoni walked in, and for a moment, it seemed like he might pull off a miracle. But Sandeep Sharma and Mahesh Theekshana kept the runs tight, and Chennai’s hopes began to fade.
In the final over, Chennai needed 20 runs, with Dhoni on strike. But he edged a wide ball from Sandeep Sharma to the keeper, and the dream was over. Ravindra Jadeja, too, failed to deliver the big hits, scoring 32 off 22 balls.
Wanindu Hasaranga was the star of the show with the ball, picking up four wickets for 35 runs in his four overs. Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma also chipped in with economical spells, taking one wicket each.
Earlier, Rajasthan had set a competitive total of 182, thanks to a blistering 81 off 36 balls from Nitish Rana. He smashed five sixes and 10 fours, taking Rajasthan to 129 for three after 12 overs. But Chennai’s bowlers, led by Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, and Noor Ahmad, who took two wickets each, pulled things back, restricting Rajasthan to just 53 runs in the last eight overs.