NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings kept their playoff dreams alive with a resounding five-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals at the Chepauk on Sunday.
The win was propelled by a stellar bowling performance, spearheaded by pacer Simarjeet Singh, who notched up his career-best figures of 3/26 on home turf.
The low-scoring encounter was not without its drama, as Ravindra Jadeja found himself out obstructing the field, adding an element of controversy to the match.
Despite the challenging pitch conditions, CSK successfully chased down the target of 142 with 10 balls to spare, thanks in large part to the heroics of their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad. Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 42 off 41 deliveries, steering his team to a crucial victory in their quest for a playoff berth.
Gaikwad, along with Daryl Mitchell (22 off 13 balls), maintained a brisk run rate throughout, with their partnership ending the powerplay at 56 for one. However, Mitchell’s dismissal by spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the eighth over didn’t deter Gaikwad, who continued to anchor the innings.
Shivam Dube’s brief cameo against Ravichandran Ashwin saw some fireworks, but Ashwin had the last laugh, claiming his 50th IPL wicket at the venue.
A minor hiccup arose when Jadeja was involved in a miscommunication with Gaikwad, resulting in Jadeja being adjudged out for obstructing the field, a rare occurrence in IPL history. Nonetheless, CSK’s Sameer Rizvi’s brisk 15 off eight balls ensured a swift finish to the game.
CSK’s victory propelled them to the third spot on the points table, while Rajasthan Royals suffered their third consecutive defeat, yet managed to hold on to the second position.
Earlier, CSK’s Simarjeet Singh starred with the ball, restricting RR to a modest total. Despite Riyan Parag’s valiant unbeaten 47 off 35 balls, RR struggled to capitalize on a slow wicket.
Opting to bat first, RR’s openers cautiously navigated the initial overs. However, Simarjeet’s breakthroughs in the seventh and ninth overs, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler respectively, disrupted RR’s momentum.
RR skipper Sanju Samson’s departure further dented their hopes, as Simarjeet claimed his third wicket of the innings. RR’s tail-enders failed to contribute substantially, leaving the visitors with an inadequate total on the board.
