Sandeep finishes the job for RR
He takes out Dhoni and successfully defends 19 off the final over, handing RR their first win and CSK their second successive defeat this season. Dhoni's magic is fading
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Sandeep bests Dhoni
Picked ahead of Archer to bowl the final over, Sandeep starts with a slower bouncer wide of off, which has been deemed a wide. The next ball is a full-toss, which is hoicked to Hetmyer at deep midwicket. Sprawling catch. Dhoni gone for 16 off 11. CSK now need 19 off 5 balls. Game over for CSK?
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Dhoni, Jadeja take it to the last over
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Parag backs Deshpande to bowl the 19th and keep Archer/Sandeep for the final over. Dhoni kickstarts the penultimate over with a ramped four and Jadeja finishes it with a slog-swept six after shuffling across off. CSK take 19 off the 19th over. CSK need 20 off the final over, with Dhoni on strike.
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Theekshana stifles CSK even further
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Theekshana bowls a boundary-less 18th over against CSK. Dhoni, who struggles to hit spin, couldn't even put a full-toss away. That 108kph dart, in fact, surprised Dhoni. Jadeja also deals in singles and doubles against Theekshana's mystery spin. CSK now need 39 off 12 balls
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Hasaranga takes out Gaikwad
Gaikwad goes and with it CSK's hopes? After slog-sweeping a Hasaranga wrong'un over midwicket, Hasaranga slips in the wide legbreak. Hides it away from Gaikwad's swinging arc. Challenges the CSK captain to fetch it from the wide line. Gaikwad meets it with a slog-sweep, but ends up dragging it to wide long-on for 63 off 44 balls. CSK need 54 off 24 balls. Gaikwad punches his gloves on his helmet as he walks back to the dugout.
Dhoni is welcomed by a slip and leg slip. Hasaranga slides in a wrong'un. Dhoni steps out and ekes out an inside edge onto the pad. RR have also held back one over of Theekshana for Dhoni at the death.
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Deshpande steps up against his former team
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Good 15th over from Deshpande, despite the two wides. He gives up 11 runs, keeping CSK guessing with his pace and length variations. CSK now need 61 off 30 balls.
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Hasaranga's Pushpa celebration
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Gaikwad fifty
He brings up the landmark off 37 balls. It's his second half-century in three games this season. Despite wickets falling around him, he has anchored this chase with low-risk, high-percentage shots. But where will the power come from? The asking rate has touched 12.
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Hasaranga knocks Vijay over
The first ball from Hasaranga narrowly missed Vijay's off stump. This one hits the stumps, though. Vijay fails to read another wrong'un - tossed up nicely and ripping through his defences to clatter into the stumps. Gone for 9 off 6 balls. Jadeja in at No.6. CSK need 90 off 48 balls, with six wickets in hand
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Parag blinder sends Dube back
After taking Hasaranga for a four and six, Dube chips a wrong'un in the air. It seems destined to fall safely until homeboy Parag throws himself to his right from cover and completes an incredible one-handed catch, inches from the ground. Replays confirm that Parag did get his fingers underneath the ball. Game-changing catch, and Parag knows it. He wheels away in celebration and pumps his fist animatedly with the Guwahati crowd right behind him. Dube falls for 18 off ten balls.
Hasaranga then greets Vijay with a ripping googly, which narrowly misses the off stump
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Tripathi holes out
Hasaranga strikes with his first ball, a googly, having Tripathi dragging a catch to deep midwicket. Goes for 23 off 19 balls. With Theekshana, Hasaranga bowling in tandem, expect CSK to unleash Shivam Dube on the spinners. Indeed, it's Dube at No.4. Pathirana has been subbed out
RR also have another frontline option: Kumar Kartikeya who has been subbed in for Samson.
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CSK pick up the speed
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Gaikwad maximises the last over of the powerplay, taking Sandeep for a triptych of fours. The pick of the lot was a drilled hit through the covers. CSK were 5 for 1 in three overs. They close out the powerplay at 42 for 1.
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Where should Gaikwad bat for CSK?
23.0K votesOpen
Stay at No.3
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Archer back to his best?
RR certainly think so and hand him his third over in the powerplay. He continues to pound the ball on hard lengths on the stumps - or closer to it - to leave CSK's top order discomfited.
But his lack of pace works against him. When he bangs a legcutter into the pitch and Tripathi's body, he picks him away for six over long leg. The next ball is on pace, but the response from Tripathi is the same: he backs away and swats a four behind square on the leg side.
Archer then cranks it upto 147kph and nails an inswinging yorker, which Tripathi somehow keeps out. CSK are 28 for 1 in five overs.
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CSK's ultra-slow start
5 Runs scored by CSK in the first three overs of their chase of 183. The asking rate has shot up past 10 already
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Archer's perfect start
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Archer kicks off RR's defence with a wicket-maiden - the first maiden in IPL 2025. Ravindra fends at a 145kph rocket and ends up nicking behind to keeper for a duck. Archer also greets Gaikwad with a similar rapid lifter, but the CSK captain carefully ducks underneath in it.
In the next over, former Super King Deshpande pings Gaikwad on his unprotected elbow with a hard-length delivery. Gaikwad needs some attention from the physio
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Big chase for CSK
2019 The last time CSK successfully chased a target of more than 180. They have lost their last eight 180+ chases since.
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CSK restrict RR to 182 for 9 after Rana 81
A no-holds-barred assault from Rajasthan Royals' (RR) new No.3, Nitish Rana, carried them to 182, against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in their quest for their first win this season. RR looked good for an even bigger total, but late strikes from Matheesha Pathirana and Khaleel Ahmed held them off.
RR's captain Riyan Parag had batted at No.3 in their first two matches of this season, against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Their coach Rahul Dravid had also backed him at No.3 on the eve of this game against CSK, but RR ended up pushing Rana up to No.3, ahead of Parag, and he responded by acing his match-up against R Ashwin once again.
Before Sunday's game, Rana had hit 108 off 58 balls from the spinner without being dismissed in the IPL. Rana welcomed him into the attack in the fifth over with a sequence of 6,6,4. By the time, Ashwin finally dismissed him for the first time in the IPL, off his 71st ball to him, Rana had extended his tally to 141.
Ashwin dipped into one of his old tricks - pause and deliver - to have Rana stumped off his off-side wide for 81 off 36 balls. Fifty-eight of those runs were scored in the powerplay alone. In contrast, Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal had contributed only 20 runs together in the first six overs.
Noor snagged Samson in his first over for 20 off 16 balls and proceeded to dismiss Dhruv Jurel for 3 off seven balls. Vijay Shankar then pulled off a blinder, running in from deep midwicket, to remove Wanindu Hasaranga, who was promoted to No.6, ahead of Shimron Hetmyer, for 4 off 5 balls.
Hetmyer could've been dismissed on 3 had Jamie Overton not dropped a skier. His evening only got worse after he had leaked 30 runs from his first two overs in the powerplay. Khaleel and Pathirana, however, stepped up with the old ball to keep RR below 200, which was on the cards, especially when Rana was on song.
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Parag attacks Noor
Hetmyer could've been dismissed on 3 had Overton caught a skier off Pathirana in the 16th over.
In the next over, Parag reads a wrong'un for Noor and reverse-swats him over backward point for four. Next ball, he slog-sweeps him for six over midwicket to keep RR on course for 200. Noor ends with 4-0-28-2
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Hello, Vijay Shankar
Vijay was hurt after being benched at TN during the domestic season. He might have been hurt when he was benched by CSK at the start of IPL 2025. His first contribution this season is a spectacular catch from deep midwicket to dismiss Hasaranga. He tears in from deep midwicket, dives forward, and plucks it inches from the ground. Jadeja loves it.
CSK had struggled in the field in previous game against RCB, but they've fared better here with some luck also going their way. The catch that Pathirana took almost bobbled out.
Hetmyer is finally in at No.7
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Where is Hetmyer?
He batted at No.6 in RR's opening game and was then demoted to No.8 in their previous game against KKR. No signs of him yet today. RR are 140 for 4 in 14 overs. Should RR use Hetmyer better? He's more than just a specialist finisher, as he has demonstrated for WI.
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CSK claw back
In the next over, Noor gets a wrong'un to turn away from Jurel and has him caught at short third, where Pathirana runs forward and just about hangs onto the catch. The ball almost bobbled out. Gone for 3 off 7 balls in the end. No signs of Hetmyer yet. Hasaranga in at No.6. Noor, btw, has surpassed Starc to become the top wicket-taker in this IPL with nine strikes
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Ashwin gets Rana for the first time in the IPL
Ashwin finally dismisses Rana in the IPL. He gets him with an off-side wide after his signature pause and deliver. He's had to wait 141 balls to dismiss Rana. Dhoni collects the wide and stumps Rana, who had stepped out too early, for 81 off 36 balls.
He is now bowling legbreaks with a Harbhajan-esque action, but Parag hits him down the ground and a fumble from Rachin in the deep means another boundary for RR.
Ashwin ends with 4-046-1, his joint fifth-most expensive IPL spell. RR are 129 for 3 in 12 overs.
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Parag brings the home crowd alive
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Even Pathirana can't control the flow of runs. He gives up 13 runs in his first over. Guwahati's very own Riyan Parag brought the crowd alive when he whipped Pathiana for six over square leg.
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Need a wicket? Call Noor
CSK introduce Noor into the attack in the eighth over and he responds by having Samson holing out to long-off for 20 off 16 balls. Some respite for CSK. Noor then pings Rana's pad with a wrong'un but this seems to be heading down leg. Noor joins Starc at the top of the wickets charts with eight strikes this season.
RR are 99 for 2 in ten overs. Rana has scored 70 of those. He looks good for more.
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Beware of Rana
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Rana bosses the powerplay
The ball that had Jaiswal seemed to stick in the surface. Perhaps, realising that this Guwahati surface could slow down later in the evening, Nitish Rana has run away to a swift start, taking on the hard, new ball. Even when Overton didn't offer him much room, Rana used his quick hands and bat speed to ramp him over third man.
As soon as Ashwin came into the attack, he slog-swept him for back-to-back sixes. Then in the final over of the powerplay, he slashes at Khaleel and sends a thick outside edge past Dhoni to the third-man boundary. He has charged to a 21-ball half-century. He closes out the powerplay with a swiped six.
79 Runs scored by RR in the powerplay for the loss of Jaiswal. It's their third-highest powerplay total in the IPL
Parag had batted at No.3 in RR's first two games this season. They have now promoted Rana up to No.3 to mess with Ashwin and RR's plan is working like a charm.
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Why not throw Ashwin into the attack?
Rana picks off Overton for two more boundaries in his next over. Samson also joins the party and swats Overton for six over midwicket. Overall, Overton has given up 30 runs off his first two overs in the IPL.
No Ashwin yet. He tends to dominate left-handers. Except Rana.
108 Runs scored by Rana off 58 balls from Ashwin at a strike rate of 186.20 without being dismissed
And Rana adds to that tally with two sixes off his first two balls of Ashwin.
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Welcome to the IPL, Jamie
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Rough start to the IPL for Jamie Overton. With his England and Surrey team-mate Curran out, Overton takes the new ball and leaks 14 runs in his first over in the league. The four was down to a misfield from Pathirana in the deep. The upper-cut briefly kept Khaleel interested at deep third before clearing him for six.
Overton usually operates with the older ball for England and other franchises. Matt Roller notes that this is only the seventh time since 2016 that he's taking the new ball in a T20.
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Khaleel takes out Jaiswal
Khaleel's first ball is too full to Jaiswal. He was searching for swing, but didn't get any. Jaiswal stretches out and cracks him through the covers. Khaleel pulls his length back and has Jaiswal caught at mid-off third ball with an inswinger. Gone for 4 off 3 balls.
11 No of wickets taken by Khaleel in the powerplay since IPL 2024. Only the OGs Starc and Boult have more IPL wickets than Khaleel in the first six overs during this period.
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CSK win the toss and opt to chase
Having suffered their biggest-ever defeat at Chepauk on Friday, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) responded with two changes for their away game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday. Jamie Overton replaced his compatriot Sam Curran and made his IPL debut while Vijay Shankar came in for Deepak Hooda.
Overton lends more strength to the middle order and can also hit heavy lengths at speeds north of 140kph with the ball. As for Vijay, he's an old face for CSK, having played for them in 2014 before moving to different franchises. He was carded at bat at No.4 in CSK's bowl-first XI, but it's likely that Shivam Dube could slot in there as an Impact Player, with Vijay dropping down the order. There was no room for Devon Conway, though.
As for RR, they were unchanged from the defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the same venue. They might bring in an extra bowler as an Impact Player in place of Sanju Samson later in the evening. Samson is still recuperating from a finger injury and hasn't been cleared yet to keep wicket or field.
RR: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Sanju Samson, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Tushar Deshpande
Impact Subs: Kunal Singh Rathore, Shubham Dubey, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Yudhvir Singh
CSK: 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Jamie Overton, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Khaleel Ahmed
Impact Subs: Shivam Dube, Mukesh Choudhary, Devon Conway, Shaik Rasheed, Sam Curran
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Conway time for CSK?
Should CSK bring in Conway?
6.4K votesYes, Conway should open with Gaikwad
Yes, Conway should open with Rachin with Gaikwad at No.3
No, CSK are fine with Rachin and Gaikwad
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New season, new loyalties
Tushar Deshpande was a net bowler at CSK in IPL 2022. He then went onto become one of Dhoni's go-to bowlers and won the title in 2023. Like Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana often fronted up to bowl the tough overs at CSK. He continues to bowl in the powerplay for RR but hasn't yet produced the kind of output RR might have been looking for. Can the pair get the better of their former franchise in Guwahati?
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RR, CSK search for balance
After having suffered their biggest-ever defeat at Chepauk on Friday, CSK face a super-quick turnaround today against RR in Guwahati. CSK had only arrived in Guwahati on Saturday evening and will have to hit the ground running in Guwahati. Like CSK, RR are searching for their best combination. Quite a few questions to answer for both teams. This will be RR's last 'home' fixture in Guwahati before they go on the road to Mullanpur and Ahmedabad. They will then shift to Jaipur for a clash with RCB.
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