UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajashtan Royals (RR) played their IPL match today at Sharjah cricket stadium.CSK and RR have played 21 matches against each other. Out of which, CSK has won 14 matches and RR has won just 7 matches.
Rajashtan Royals’ innings
CSK won the toss and decided to field first. RR began their inning quite cautiously. Opening batsman, Yashasvi Jaiswal was removed by Deepak Chahar. After that, Sanju Samson entered the field. The way he batted was pleasing to the eyes. He began his inning by hitting two consecutive sixes in Ravindra Jadeja’s over.
He was especially belligerent on Piyush Chawla. Samson hit three sixes in his over. In that over RR captain Steve Smith hit one more six, hence accumulating 28 runs in just one over.
Samson tried to hit over the cover and was caught at the deep cover on the bowling of South African bowler Lungi Nigdi. He played a fabulous inning scoring 74(32b, 1×4, 9×6). However, two consecutive wickets of David Miller and Robin Uthappa put the brakes on RR scoring. Meanwhile, Steve Smith played a sheet anchor role. When he got out in 19th over, he had already contributed 69(47b, 4×4,4×6) to the RR score.
Rahul Tewatia and Riyan Parag came to bat after the fall of 5 wickets. However, Tewatia and Parag returned to pavilion cheaply and the score of 200 runs looked like a distant possibility. But the last over of Ngidi changed the complexion of the game. Jofra Archer came to bat and hit him 4 sixes in a row. Two no-balls and one wide ball from Nigdi compounded his misery. RR amassed the mammoth total of 216 for 7 wickets. Sam Curran was the pick of the bowlers. He took 3 wickets by giving only 33 runs in his quota of 4 overs.
CSK’s innings
CSK, chasing a mammoth total of 217, scored their first fifty runs in the fifth over. When it was looking that Shane Watson will explode, he was clean bowled by Tewatia on 33(21b, 1×4,4×6). Murali Vijay also departed on 21 (21 b, 3×4). The score quickly became 58 for 2. Sam Curran was promoted up in the batting order. He put a promising show by hitting two consecutive sixes of Tewatia.
But, Tewatia took his wicket on 17(6b, 1×4,2×6). IPL debutant Rituraj Gaikwad was stumped on the first ball for nought. The score became 77 for 4 in 9 overs. The duo of Faf Duplessis and Kedar Jadhav tried to consolidate. They added 37 runs in 4.4 overs before Jadhav succumbed to Tom Curran for 22(16b,3×4). After 15 overs, CSK were 132 for 5 and needed 85 runs from 30 balls.
Faf duplessis tried to salvage the pride. He hit some lusty blows.
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He was out caught by Samson on 72(37b, 1×4,7×6). In the end, the score was too high for CSK. Some flurry of strokes by M.S. Dhoni reduced the margin of loss. But eventually, CSK lost the game by 16 runs. Dhoni remained not out on 29(17b, 3×6).
