In the 37th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 32 runs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. With this victory, the Jaipur-based outfit once again grabbed the top spot in the points table.
RR skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and elected to bat first, and the unit took full advantage of it. The young southpaw batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal (77) was blazing fire with the bat and stitched an opening partnership of 82 runs with Jos Buttler (27). In the ninth over, CSK drew the first blood, as Ravindra Jadeja got rid of Buttler. Despite the momentum carried by Jaiswal, Samson (17) was not able to contribute, as he was dismissed by Tushar Deshpande. But the late attacking cameos from Dhruv Jurel (34) and Devdutt Padikkal (27)* helped RR to score 202/5 in 20 overs.
While chasing, CSK openers were not looking comfortable as they were not able to score the runs in that required pace in the powerplay, and this helped the hosts to claim the first wicket in the form of Devon Conway (8). Ruturaj Gaikwad (47) tried to consolidate the innings, but the middle order batters were not able to sustain themselves as they were neutralized by the spinners. Moeen Ali (23) and Shivam Dube (52) tried to help the team to get close to the target, but their efforts went in vain, as they fell short by 32 runs.Â
With the ball, the Royals’ spinners were the shining spots as Adam Zampa and Ravichandran Ashwin were the main catalysts in derailing Chennai’s batting line-up. Both of them grabbed three wickets and two wickets respectively. Kuldip Yadav, who came to the turf as an impact player, also got a wicket as well.
In the first innings, the bowlers from Chennai did not have a great day with the ball. The pacers have leaked runs more than they would have liked. Only Maheesh Theekshana and Jadeja were quite economical, as they claimed one wicket each. Deshpande, despite being expensive, also got two wickets.
For his scintillating performance with the bat, Yashasvi Jaiswal was adjudged Player of the Match. He scored 77 runs, which had some eight dashing fours, and four massive sixes.
Scorecard:
Rajasthan Royals: 202/5, Overs 20, Yashasvi Jaiswal 77, Maheesh Theekshana 1/24
Chennai Super Kings: 170/6, Overs 20, Shivam Dube 52, Adam Zampa 3/22