IPL 2023: 37th Match RR vs CSK: April 27, 2023

In a thrilling encounter, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s explosive batting combined with the spinners’ brilliance helped the Rajasthan Royals dethrone the Chennai Super Kings from the top position. Opting to bat first, the Royals witnessed a power-packed performance from Jaiswal, who played an attacking innings, scoring 77 runs off just 43 deliveries. His aggressive approach set the tone for the team’s innings.

Despite a brief resurgence from the Super Kings during the middle overs, the late hitting by Dhruv Jurel (34 off 15) and Devdutt Padikkal (27* off 13) propelled the Royals to an imposing total of 202 for 5. This remarkable feat made the Royals the first team in Jaipur to breach the 200-run mark in the IPL. The Super Kings’ pacer Matheesha Pathirana, though bowling yorkers at express pace, was unfortunate to concede 48 runs, with 28 of those runs coming from shots where the batters lacked control.

Chasing the target, the Super Kings got off to a slow start, struggling against the Royals’ spinners Adam Zampa and R Ashwin. The duo not only stifled the opposition but also scalped crucial wickets, accounting for five dismissals in total. Shivam Dube was the lone warrior for the Super Kings, offering some resistance, but it was not enough to turn the tide in their favor.

Despite the away game setting, the Super Kings seemed to have a larger share of supporters in the stands compared to the Royals. However, the backing from the crowd did not affect Jaiswal and Jos Buttler, who provided another blistering start for the Royals. Jaiswal wasted no time, launching a fierce assault on Akash Singh, smashing consecutive boundaries off the first two balls of the match, followed by another four in the same over. He continued his onslaught in the next over, punishing the seamers with three fours and a six. Buttler also joined the party, finding success against Tushar Deshpande, hitting him for two boundaries.

Recognizing the struggle of the seamers, the Super Kings’ captain MS Dhoni introduced spin into the attack. Maheesh Theekshana bowled a tight over, conceding only three runs. However, Buttler responded with two emphatic fours in the following over, playing authoritative shots over the bowler’s head. Although Jadeja managed to break the opening stand by dismissing Buttler, Jaiswal continued his dominant form.

Jaiswal displayed no signs of slowing down even after the fielding restrictions were lifted. Prior to this game, Jaiswal had been effective in the middle overs, scoring 81 runs off 70 balls. However, in this match, he maintained his aggressive approach, smashing 37 runs off just 22 deliveries. In the 14th over, Deshpande struck back by removing both Sanju Samson and Jaiswal, momentarily halting the Royals’ scoring momentum.

Between the 14th and 17th overs, the Royals managed only 28 runs and lost three wickets, creating a possibility for the Super Kings to restrict them below 200 runs. However, Jurel and Padikkal seized the opportunity and unleashed a flurry of shots. Although not all of their hits found the middle of the bat, the runs flowed rapidly. The Super Kings’ sloppy fielding added to their woes, frustrating Dhoni on several occasions. The Royals capitalised on the situation, plundering 56 runs in the last four overs, propelling their total beyond 200 runs.

With Trent Boult’s absence due to injury, Zampa was given a chance to shine. He made an instant impact by dismissing Devon Conway, caught