Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s well-calculated half-century in challenging conditions turned out to be game-changer as Chennai Super Kings won their third match of the season with a eight-run defeat of Rajasthan Royals in Chennai on Sunday. The pitch used in the previous match was a rank turner but on Sunday it turned to be a different challenge for the batsmen since it was not conducive for stroke-play as the ball was stopping a bit.
Dhoni paced his innings beautifully, scoring unbeaten 75 off 46 balls to lead his side to a competitive 175 for five, seizing momentum from Royals bowlers who were off to an inspiring start. The Royals needed someone to play a Dhoni-like innings but none took that responsibility and they could manage 167 for 8, suffering their third defeat in as many matches.
ALSO READ: Youngest IPL debutant Prayas managing RCB and CBSE tests at same time
Here’s a look at the statistical highlights from the match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
- The Chennai Super Kings recorded their lowest score in the Powerplay overs against Rajasthan Royals. CSK managed a score of 29/3 in the first six overs.
- MS Dhoni notched his highest score against Rajasthan Royals and his second highest score in the IPL. The wicketkeeper-batsman struck four boundaries and four sixes during his innings.
{{/usCountry}}- MS Dhoni notched his highest score against Rajasthan Royals and his second highest score in the IPL. The wicketkeeper-batsman struck four boundaries and four sixes during his innings.
{{/usCountry}}- Ajinkya Rahane has recorded the third highest number of ducks in the IPL. He has eleven ducks to his name in the cash-rich league.
- Sanju Samson, who scored 8 runs off 10 balls, completed 2000 runs in the IPL.
- Deepak Chahar recorded his fourth best economical spell (four overs) in the IPL. The fast bowler picked up two wickets for 19 runs in this match.
(With inputs from agencies)