CSK Vs RR match summary: Rajasthan Royals needed 12 runs off the last over. Dhoni’s favorite death over bowler Dwayne Bravo once again had the ball in a crucial juncture of the game. Ben Stokes who didn’t enjoy much with the bat until now was playing one of the best innings for Royals, dying to get his team over the line. Bravo bowls full as Stokes scoops it straight to Raina as the equation came down to 12 off 5. What followed was a dot, single, single, wicket, single, as the West Indies all-rounder once again produced a sensational final over to give CSK 8 run victory over Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.
Much like Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals also saw a collapse, losing their top three batsmen inside four overs as Deepak Chahar reduced both the in-form Rahane and Samson for a duck and eight respectively, even as Thakur got rid of Buttler in his second over.
The game was pretty much set for a one-sided affair, knowing the fact that it will be difficult for the team chasing with the due factor coming into the equation. Rajasthan was on course for a collapse, having lost three quick wickets in four overs. However, Australian cricketer Steve Smith came to the rescue who stitched a 61-run alliance with Rahul Tripathi, and in the process, took the team’s total to 75 in 10 overs.
An important partnership was building up and all Chennai needed to be was a wicket. In a bid to claim one, Dhoni brought Tahir into the attack and in the sixth ball of his over, the leggie once again managed to break the important partnership, claiming the important wicket of Rahul Tripathi, followed by Steven Smith’s wicket in his third over as CSK were right back at the top, with RR needing 82 in last seven.
Archer and Ben Stokes, then produced a sensational partnership as the duo set the stadium alight in the latter half of the innings, clearing the boundaries with ease, but only to be at the losing end on Sunday.
Earlier, Chennai lost their opening three wickets early in the innings owing to some good bowling at the start by Rajasthan Royals. Dhawal Kulkarni and Jofra Archer started off brilliantly with the latter giving away just two runs in his opening spell of two overs.
Archer got rid of Ambati Rayudu early on 1, while Kulkarni bowled equally well, having given away just 13 runs in his first spell of three overs. Shane Watson too departed early on 13.
Kedar Jadhav came firing right from the first ball, hitting two consecutive boundaries, however, his innings couldn’t last long, as he departed too, facing his third delivery of the match while poking a wide one and edging it to the keeper as Chennai were in a spot of bother at 27/3 after 5 overs.
However, CSK’s most experienced campaigners pushed the recovery act, as Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni stitched together a brilliant 61-run partnership, with Raina being the aggressor and Dhoni playing as a second fiddle to the left-hander.
The partnership was eventually broken by Unadkat, who bowled the Raina in the 14th over of the innings. However, the wicket didn’t affect CSK’s run-rate as Dhoni, then led a 50-run association with Dwayne Bravo. Mahi soon decided to switch gears and hammered Royals’ bowlers to all parts in the death overs of the innings. Typical Mahi set the stadium alight in the final over, smacking three consecutive sixes in the last over to Jaydev Unadkat, while Bravo also played a great 27-run cameo off 16 deliveries as CSK reached 175 at the end of 20 overs in the first innings
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