Despite Ruturaj Gaikwad's valiant 44-ball 63 (7x4, 1x6), CSK faltered in pursuit of 183, finishing at 176/6, courtesy of Hasaranga’s relentless strikes (4/35)
Photo: iplt20/BCCI
Wanindu Hasaranga’s sensational spell derailed Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) chase, guiding Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a tense six-run win in their IPL clash on Sunday.
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Despite Ruturaj Gaikwad's valiant 44-ball 63 (7x4, 1x6), CSK faltered in pursuit of 183, finishing at 176/6, courtesy of Hasaranga’s relentless strikes (4/35). This marked CSK’s second consecutive defeat in the tournament.
Late surge falls short
Ravindra Jadeja (32 off 22 balls)* and MS Dhoni (16 off 11) attempted to reignite CSK’s hopes with a late flourish. Dhoni injected momentum with a six and a four in the penultimate over, where Tushar Deshpande conceded 19 runs. Jadeja followed up with a six to keep CSK in the hunt.
However, with 20 runs needed off the final over, Sandeep Sharma held his nerve, conceding just 13 runs. The defining moment came when Shimron Hetmyer took a stunning catch to dismiss Dhoni, ensuring RR’s hard-fought victory.
Nitish Rana’s blitzkrieg sets the stage
Earlier, Nitish Rana’s blistering 81 off 36 balls, featuring 10 fours and five sixes, had put RR on course for a 200-plus total.
However, CSK mounted a strong comeback in the death overs, with Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, and Khaleel Ahmed picking up two wickets each, restricting RR to 182/9.
Despite their late fightback with the ball, Hasaranga’s magic with the ball proved decisive, ensuring RR edged past CSK in a last-over thriller.
Brief scores:
Rajasthan Royals 182/9; 20 overs (Nitish Rana 81, Riyan Parag 37; Noor Ahmad 2/28, Matheesha Pathirana 2/28, Khaleel Ahmed 2/38) b Chennai Super Kings 176/6 (Ruturaj Gaikwad 63, Ravindra Jadeja 32 not out; Wanindu Hasaranga 4/35) by six runs.
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