Twitter Reactions: Rajasthan Royals survive huge MS Dhoni scare in last-over thriller
The theme of last-over thrillers in IPL 2023 continued as MS Dhoni almost pulled off a stunning chase against Rajasthan Royals.
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Chennai Super Kings' legendary skipper MS Dhoni, playing his 200th game as the CSK skipper, was denied a fairytale finish after Sandeep Sharma held his nerve to seal a narrow victory for Rajasthan Royals in a cracking contest. It was another last-over thriller in the IPL 2023 after Rajasthan Royals set a competitive total on the board, thanks to a half-century from Jos Buttler. Sanju Samson's spinners did their job in the second innings as Rajasthan move to the top of the table, surviving Dhoni's late onslaught.
The CSK chase was off to an unceremonious start after star Indian opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was dismissed cheaply. But the home side weren't deterred by that initial loss as Devon Conway and Ajinkya Rahane put on a handy partnership for the second wicket to keep their side in the hunt.
Rahane, who was looking in sublime touch yet again, was done by the guile of veteran Indian offie Ravichandran Ashwin as Sanju Samson's spinners started to dictate terms in the middle overs. The tourists kept chipping away at the wickets as the pressure started to build on the Yellow Army.
Kiwi opener Devon Conway, who was playing the anchor role in the chase, departed in an attempt to up the ante against the spinners. Conway's wicket was the hammer blow for the Chennai-based outfit as it was getting increasingly difficult for the batters to go for the big shots from the get-go.
But the home side weren't out of the contest as long as Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni were at the crease. The Indian all-rounder dispatched Jason Holder for two sixes and a boundary in the penultimate over to set up a thrilling final over. Dhoni joined the party in the next over, smashing Sandeep Sharma for consecutive sixes as the game shifted in the favour of the home side. However, the seasoned Indian pacer nailed his yorkers to seal a narrow victory for the Rajasthan Royals.
CSK spinners pull things back after Jos Buttler's flying start
It was the Chennai skipper, leading his side for the 200th time, who won the toss and decided to bowl first in front of a full house at Chepauk. His decision reaped an instant reward as Rajasthan Royals' in-form young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal departed in the second over of the match. But that wasn't enough to contain the visitors in the powerplay as Jos Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal stitched a brisk partnership.
The Chennai bowlers were under serious heat as the visitors were threatening to register a daunting total on the board. But the momentum changed hands in the ninth over of the match when Ravindra Jadeja struck twice in three deliveries, dismissing the well-set Padikkal and Sanju Samson.
Veteran Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin was promoted up the order to deal with the threat of the Chennai spinners, and he did manage that to some extent, scoring 30 off 22 deliveries in a steady partnership with Buttler. But the Rajasthan innings lost momentum after both batters were dismissed in quick succession, and it was only an explosive cameo from Shimron Hetmyer, which took his side to a competitive score of 175 runs.
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