RAJASTHAN VICTORIOUS
Tame performances from West Indies’ Shimron Hetmyer and Jason Holder failed to stop the Rajasthan Royals from climbing to the top of table in the 2023 Indian Premier League with a 32-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings last week at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
Left-handed batter Hetmyer made only eight and all-rounder Holder did not bat, after the Royals won the toss and chose to bat scoring 202 for five from their 20 allocated overs.
Hetmyer did not field because left-arm pacer Kuldip Yadav replaced him in the Impact Player role when the Royals started their defence. Holder was the least economical bowler conceding 49 in four wicket-less overs. CSK were restricted to 170 for 6 in their 20 overs.
West Indies captain Jason Holder plays a shot during the first One-Day International cricket match between England and West Indies at Old Trafford in Manchester, England in 2017. Associated Press / Rui Vieira, file
Rajasthan Royals now have 10 points from winning five out of eight matches and CSK being one of three teams with the same number of points, dropped to third with an inferior net run rate of 0.376.
In the chase, CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway were off to a cautious start when Holder came into the attack and conceded 12 runs from his first over. Adam Zampa made the breakthrough for Royals when he got caught at mid-off. CSK were 42 for 1.
Gaikwad kept the score-board ticking but was caught at long-on in the tenth over and CSK wobbled to 72 for 2 at the halfway stage before India off-spinner Ravi Chandra Ashwin scalped Ajinkya Rahane for 15 and Ambati Rayudu for a second-ball duck in the next over.
Shivam Dube hit 2 fours and 4 sixes in the top score of 52 off 33 balls and he anchored stands of 51 with Moeen Ali for the fifth wicket and 46 with Ravindra Jadeja for the sixth wicket. But the asking rate just kept climbing and though Holder conceded 25 from his last 2 overs CSK were too far behind and the Royals snapped their 2-match losing streak, while ending CSK’s 3-match winning run.
