The Rajasthan Royals triumphed over the Chennai Super Kings by three runs in an IPL match on April 13, 2023. [expander_maker id=”1″ ] Sandeep Sharma managed to contain a last-over onslaught from Chennai captain MS Dhoni in a dramatic finish that saw the home team fall agonisingly short of the target. CSK made a strong start with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane laying the platform. However, a spin-strangle by the Royals resulted in a substantial collapse, as the middle-order suffered a dramatic collapse losing five wickets for 35 runs. A stand between MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja took the game deep, before Sandeep Sharma nailed three yorkers to bring a halt to the Chepauk crowd’s hope for a fairytale Dhoni finish on his 200th match as the CSK captain.

The Royals batted first and scored 175/8 thanks to strong contributions from Shimron Hetmyer, who struck a 30-run cameo off 18-balls, and opener Jos Buttler’s quick-fire 32 runs off 19 balls. Buttler smashed three sixes off Moeen Ali in an over before Ravindra Jadeja picked up two crucial wickets to bring the Royals’ scoring to a halt. Later in the innings, Ravichandran Ashwin struck two sixes but was caught at mid-off too soon.

During the powerplay, Yashasvi Jaiswal fell early, but Devdutt Padikkal and Jos Buttler took on the spinners, spanking them around for 27 runs in two overs. Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Padikkal and Samson in the same over. Later, Shimron Hetmyer stepped up with some quick boundaries and the Royals maintained a run-rate of 9.5 runs per over in the powerplay. However, the spin strangle of Jadeja and Moeen Ali worked for CSK, leading to Rajasthan Royals losing four wickets in the next nine overs. Later in the innings, MS Dhoni and Sisanda Magala pulled off a great catch in the boundary to send Hetmyer back to the pavilion.

Chennai Super Kings make a change to their playing XI with off-spinner Moeen Ali taking the place of all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius. Chepauk, the home ground of CSK, had a flat pitch with not much grass but plenty of cracks, perfect for spinners and cutters. The pitch was firm enough, but the spinners and cutters still had an edge in this encounter.

Rajasthan made no changes to their playing XI. However, their impact subs included Riyan Parag, Donavon Ferreira, KM Asif, Adam Zampa, and Joe Root. Jason Holder replaced Trent Boult due to a niggle in the Chennai Super Kings’ playing squad. Super Kings impact subs include Ambati Rayudu, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, and RS Hangargekar.

The Rajasthan Royals have been remarkable this IPL season due to their youthful stroke-makers, powerful batting lineup, and experienced bowlers. In contrast, the Chennai Super Kings have been losing their touch, in part due to their ageing players, but they continue to rely on the expertise of their veteran captain, MS Dhoni. Despite the loss, this last-over battle will be remembered as a classic match for years to come.[/expander_maker]