Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
The Rajasthan Royals registered a thrilling five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Chennai had a mediocre batting performance that was carried by Moeen Ali who scored 93 runs alongside MS Dhoni who also contributed 26 runs in 28 balls.
Then in the second innings, RR also had a similar batting display as only one batter scored big runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 59 runs from 44 balls but in the end, it was a great finish by R Ashwin who scored 40 in 23 balls.
Changes in the points table
After the 68th match of the IPL, Rajasthan Royals are second on the table with 18 points from 14 games. They also have a net run rate of +0.298. Whereas the Chennai Super Kings are ninth on the table with eight points from 14 games with a net run rate of -0.203.
Today’s Matchup
In Saturday’s lineup, the Mumbai Indians will take on the Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Both teams have played each other once where Mumbai suffered a four-wicket loss thanks to crucial knocks by Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur.
What did the captains say?
CSK captain MS Dhoni addressed the team’s defeat and said, “I think what we need to understand is that we were playing a batter light. So when we lost those wickets, Moeen had to curb himself a bit. Role and responsibility got swapped a bit when the wickets fell. If we had lost another wicket at that point, we wouldn't have even got anything to defend. I'd say 10-15 runs short although the start is always crucial. If you don't start well, even 180 may not be enough. Overall, I'd say 15 runs short. I think the important factor is that he (Mukesh) is keen to learn quickly and after every game, he wants to improve. That's what is needed for youngsters.”
“Next season, it shouldn't be like they are starting from scratch. Our Malinga (Pathirana) is difficult to pick, and he'll only surely contribute for us next year. We have done well in patches. Important thing is to do well as a team. Crucial thing is to make the most of an opportunity if you are a bowler or a batter. It's not a one-year tournament, you keep coming back year after year. Key is to keep going as a player for the next 10-12 years”, MSD added.
Winning captain Sanju Samson praised the team for their thrilling win. He said, “Feels really good, it has been standout. Almost everyone has stood out for us. It was important to understand they have quality batters. I didn't expect to come back so strong, so well. It was a great effort. I wanted to bring him (McCoy) after the powerplay, he also had really great change-ups. Cricket is a funny game. They had quality bowlers, but Ashwin has done a great job for us, he has turned out to be a great all-rounder for us.”