Jaiswal’s half-century, Royals gave Super Kings a target of 203 runs
Batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal’s half-century helped Rajasthan Royals post 202 for five against Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday. Apart from scoring 77 runs in 43 balls with eight fours and four sixes, Jaiswal got the team off to a good start by adding 86 for the first wicket with Jos Buttler (27), but after the break of the pair, the Royals team started deviating. Was staying Dhruv Jurel (34 runs in 15 balls, three fours, two sixes) and Devdutt Padikkal (23 not out in 13 balls, four fours), however, took the team to a strong score by sharing 48 runs in 20 balls for the fifth wicket.
Royals captain Sanju Samson won the toss and decided to bat first, after which Jaiswal along with Butler (27) got the team off to a stormy start once again. Both added 64 runs in the power play without losing a wicket. Jaiswal looked in rhythm from the beginning. He hit six fours and a six in the first two overs of Akash Singh. Butler also hit two fours each on Tushar Deshpande and Mahesh Teekshana. Jaiswal completed his half-century in 26 balls with sixes and then one run over Ravindra Jadeja. Wicketkeeper captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni dropped Butler’s catch on Teekshana’s ball. Butler, however, could not take advantage of this and caught Shivam Dubey at long-on off Jadeja in the next over. He hit four fours while facing 21 balls.
The century of Super Kings runs was completed in the 10th over. Samson struggled to score runs and was eventually caught by Ruturaj Gaikwad at long-on off Deshpande after scoring 17 runs in 17 balls. In the same over, Deshpande gave a double blow to the Royals by getting Jaiswal caught by Ajinkya Rahane at backward point. He faced 43 balls and hit eight fours and four sixes. Shimron Hetmyer also played Mahesh Teekshana’s ball on the wickets after scoring just eight runs in 10 balls, which made the team’s score 146 for four in the 17th over. In the middle overs, the Super Kings bowlers kept the run rate in check by bowling economically. Devdutt Padikkal tried to increase the run rate with two consecutive fours off Mathisa Pathirana.
In the 19th over, Dhruv Jurel hit Deshpande for fours and sixes on consecutive balls. He also hit sixes and fours in successive balls of Pathirana in the next over but was again run out. Deshpande was the most successful bowler for the Super Kings with two wickets but he went for 42 runs in four overs. Pathirana scored 48 runs in four overs while Akash Singh scored 32 runs in two overs. Both did not get any wicket.
