Rajasthan Royals secured a dramatic six-run triumph against Chennai Super Kings, marking their inaugural victory in IPL 2025. Nitish Rana was the standout performer with the bat for the Royals, scoring an impressive 81 runs, while Wanindu Hasaranga played a vital role in defending the total by taking key wickets throughout the match.
Nitish Rana uplifts Rajasthan Royals to a fighting total
Nitish Rana entered the game during the very first over after Yashasvi Jaiswal offered a straightforward catch to mid-off. What initially appeared promising for Khaleel Ahmed and CSK, who chose to bowl first, quickly deteriorated. Rana struck a boundary off the second ball he faced, marking his arrival. Jamie Overton, in his IPL debut, conceded 14 runs in his opening over and followed it with 16 runs in his subsequent over, as CSK struggled to find their rhythm. In an attempt to alter the momentum, R Ashwin was introduced, but Rana effectively utilized the sweep shot behind square, allowing RR to accumulate 19 runs in that over.
Khaleel again misjudged his lengths in his third over of the powerplay, enabling Rana to capitalize on a pitch that offered little assistance to the bowlers. Out of RR’s total of 79 runs in the powerplay, Rana contributed a remarkable 58. While Rana remained CSK’s primary threat from one end, Noor Ahmed made an immediate impact from the other, dismissing a well-set Sanju Samson, who was caught at long-off. This wicket helped slow down the scoring rate, although RR had already established a solid foundation.
Rana continued to challenge CSK’s key bowler, R Ashwin, sweeping him for another four and a six upon his return. However, Ashwin ultimately had the last word, delivering a wide ball that led to Rana being stumped for a brisk 81 off 36 balls. This dismissal aided CSK’s efforts as they tightened their grip through their spinners. Both Ahmed and Ravindra Jadeja contributed by taking the wickets of Dhruv Jurel and Wanindu Hasaranga, who were caught off mis-hits, allowing CSK to make a successful comeback.
Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer, who was dismissed on the very first ball, were the only other batsmen from RR to hit boundaries, aside from the top-order players. However, their scoring rate did not meet RR’s expectations. Parag was bowled out by Pathirana in the 18th over, while Hetmyer was caught out in the final over. Throughout the innings, CSK maintained a steady flow of overs without conceding boundaries, which contributed to their competitive position in the match. Nevertheless, RR managed to surpass the 180-run mark, largely due to Rana’s aggressive start.
CSK fail to chase the target in a close knit match
As the match progressed, the Guwahati pitch began to favor the fast bowlers, with both Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande managing to extract significant bounce. Archer, in particular, delivered a ball that rose sharply and angled away from Rachin Ravindra, resulting in a catch behind the stumps. During this period, scoring runs proved challenging, as Ruturaj Gaikwad also took a hit on the elbow. Following Archer’s opening over, CSK had only managed to score 5 runs in the first three overs.
However, both Gaikwad and Rahul Tripathi gradually discovered alternative methods to secure boundaries, utilizing the pace of the ball behind square on the onside and disrupting the bowlers’ lengths. Consequently, CSK managed to accumulate some valuable boundaries in the latter part of the powerplay, which helped to stabilize their chase. During this phase, CSK appeared poised to gain momentum with wickets in hand. Nevertheless, Rajasthan’s Wanindu Hasaranga played a crucial role in keeping his team in contention by claiming three wickets during the middle overs. He made an impact with his very first delivery, dismissing Tripathi at deep midwicket.
In response, CSK’s most formidable spin-hitter, Shivam Dube, entered the fray and immediately counterattacked Hasaranga, hitting him for a six down the ground. Dube continued his aggressive approach in Hasaranga’s subsequent over, striking a four and another six, setting the stage for a potentially game-changing over. However, he was dismissed shortly after, thanks to a spectacular catch at cover by a diving Riyan Parag. CSK retaliated through their captain Gaikwad, who struck three boundaries off Kumar Kartikeya to maintain the run rate. When Gaikwad required additional support, Vijay Shankar briefly provided it by hitting Hasaranga for a six, only to be deceived by a googly on the very next delivery. Gaikwad soon reached his fifty, but as they entered the final five overs, CSK needed 61 runs, with a well-set Gaikwad being their best hope for success.
Hasaranga once again made a significant impact in the closing overs, with Gaikwad attempting to assert control. The captain of CSK struck a vital six off Hasaranga, but he became the legspinner’s fourth wicket of the evening when he was caught at long on on the very next delivery, departing for 63 runs. Hasaranga concluded his spell with impressive figures of 4-35, playing a crucial role in RR’s defense of a modest total. In the final moments of the match, the responsibility fell on Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni to turn the tide for CSK.
RR brought back Matheesha Theekshana for the 18th over, during which the spinner allowed only six runs without conceding any boundaries, leaving CSK with a daunting task of needing 39 runs from 12 balls. Both seasoned players managed to hit a six each off Tushar Deshpande’s second-to-last over, accumulating 19 runs in total, which set the stage for Sandeep Sharma to defend 20 runs in the final over. Notably, RR opted for Sharma despite Jofra Archer having one over remaining. Fortunately for them, Sharma witnessed Dhoni miscue a low full toss to deep midwicket, where Hetmyer executed a sharp catch under pressure. Sharma successfully dealt with the threat posed by debutant Overton, who managed to hit him for one six, ultimately leading RR to victory as CSK fell short by six runs.
SCORECARD: 182/9 (Nitish Rana 81; Noor Ahmed 2-28, Matheesha Pathirana 2-28) beat Chennai Super Kings 176/6 (Ruturaj Gaikwad 63; Wanindu Hasaranga 4-35) by 6 runs
