In the 61st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by five wickets at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai.
RR won the toss and asked CSK to field first. The Super Kings produced an outstanding bowling performance, with all of their bowlers bowling at an economy rate of eight or less, allowing them to restrict the visitors to 141/5 in 20 overs.
The chase began with Rachin Ravindra (27) finally finding good touch and getting notable runs. From the other end, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (42*) played the anchor’s role, remained unbeaten, and took CSK over the victory line in 18.2 overs. Furthermore, Daryl Mitchell (22) also played with aggressive intent, just like his Kiwi teammate. The match also had an intriguing scenario when Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out for ‘obstructing the field’. Towards the end, Moeen Ali (10), Shivam Dube (18) and Sameer Rizvi (15) also contributed valuable runs, which guided the team in the chase and helped the side get two valuable points.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (24) and Jos Buttler (21) provided a decent start but were unable to connect well with the bat. The case was similar with other batters too, as Sanju Samson (15) and Riyan Parag (47*) also played at a slow strike rate. Nonetheless, the latter batter got some runs under his belt, which took RR to a decent score. Dhruv Jurel (28) also looked impressive, as he struck at a strike rate of 155.56.
While bowling in the first innings, Simarjeet Singh scalped three wickets while just giving away 26 runs. Tushar Deshpande also got two wickets and conceded 30 runs. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana also bowled at an economy rate of six and seven, respectively.
For RR with the ball, Ravichandran Ashwin obtained two wickets, while Nandre Burger and Yuzvendra Chahal grabbed one wicket each.
Simarjeet Singh was adjudged Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling show. Following this result, CSK now have 14 points and are still in quest for a place in playoffs.
Scorecard:
Rajasthan Royals: 141/5, Overs 20, Riyan Parag 47, Simarjeet Singh 3/26
Chennai Super Kings: 145/5, Overs 18.2, Ruturaj Gaikwad 42, Ravichandran Ashwin 2/35