Chennai Super Kings totalled 187 for 8, thanks to spirited performances from young talents Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis. Mhatre’s quick-fire 43 off 20 balls and Brevis’s 42 from 25 deliveries provided the backbone of CSK’s innings. Nevertheless, Rajasthan Royals, leveraging strong reverse swing bowling, curtailed their opponents’ total on a reliable batting pitch.
Despite a tense history of eight losses in nine chasing attempts, the Royals confidently pursued the challenge, buoyed by a disciplined bowling effort that seemed to allay fans’ concerns over their faltering chasing record.
Yudhvir Singh substituted for Fazalhaq Farooqi and impressively claimed three wickets, dismissing Devon Conway, Urvil Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja. These breakthroughs emerged from simple, good-length deliveries on a pitch offering little assistance, demonstrating the impact of fundamental bowling skills.
However, it wasn’t until the later stages that Akash Madhwal effectively exploited reverse swing. Holding back spinner Wanindu Hasaranga to confront MS Dhoni opened a window for Madhwal to dismantle the CSK innings with precision and variation. His clever use of late tail movement accounted for Brevis’s dismissal and applied considerable pressure to Dhoni, who fell for 16 from 17 balls.
Hasaranga, meanwhile, kept things tight against the experienced Dhoni, conceding only 27 runs over four overs despite enduring two towering sixes from Shivam Dube. Madhwal’s closing spell proved decisive, conceding just 29 runs and commanding three wickets in his four-over stint. His exceptional control, especially with yorkers and deceptive deliveries, led to crucial wickets in the death overs, allowing just 17 runs in the final three overs.
Madhwal’s figures of 4-0-29-3 spotlighted his role in curtailing CSK’s innings, with vital catches and disciplined bowling curbing any late-order surge. The match underscored the Royals’ adaptable attack, balancing breakthroughs and restraint to prevent CSK from posting an intimidating total.
