‘Spin it to win it’ was the mantra as Rajasthan Royals’ Wanindu Hasaranga (4-0-35-4) and Jofra Archer’s fiery pace powered the home side to its first victory of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Chennai Super Kings at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.
Chasing a tricky 183, CSK was shaken early when Archer bowled the first maiden of the season and dismissed in-form opener Rachin Ravindra.
CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad responded with a couple of elegant boundaries, bringing some stability to the chase.
With the game in the balance, Hasaranga provided the breakthrough by dismissing Rahul Tripathi, the power-hitter, and Shivam Dube, the latter thanks to a stunning catch from homegrown talent Riyan Parag.
Hasaranga followed it up by cleaning up debutant Vijay Shankar and sending back Gaikwad after his well-crafted half-century, giving the Royals a commanding grip on the match.
With the pressure mounting and the required rate creeping up, even the best finisher, MS Dhoni, and Ravindra Jadeja could not make the most of the 39 runs required from the last two overs, as RR got its first victory of the season at home.
Earlier, Nitish Rana launched a counter-attack, sending two boundaries on either side of the wicket and executing a deft uppercut for a maximum. Not to be outdone, Sanju Samson joined the charge as both batters unleashed a flurry of aggressive shots. Together, they tore into Jamie Overton, plundering 16 runs in the fourth over.
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With the Super Kings desperately searching for a breakthrough, even R. Ashwin couldn’t stem the bleeding. The Royals’ onslaught continued as Ashwin was hit for 19 runs off his first over, with Rana smashing two towering sixes and a boundary, all struck to the leg-side, adding to the mounting pressure. The Royals dominated the PowerPlay and piled on the agony.
A timely bowling change turned the tide as Noor Ahmad, who nabbed Samson, broke the 82-run second-wicket partnership. The young Afghan made an immediate impact, giving his team a crucial breakthrough.
Ashwin had the last laugh, dismissing Nitish, who was stumped after charging down the track and attempting to blast him out of the park, only to see Dhoni effortlessly flick the bails off.
Jadeja followed up by dismissing Hasaranga, and Noor quickly sent back Dhruv Jurel as CSK slowly but surely clawed its way back into the game with three quick wickets.
The dangerous Shimron Hetmyer was handed a lifeline when Overton fluffed a simple skier off Matheesha Pathirana. However, the Sri Lankan made an immediate impact, first rattling RR skipper Riyan Parag with a short ball, then cleaning him up with a perfect yorker, and later dismissing Hetmyer to deny the home side a final flourish.