Guwahati: A stunning bowling display from Wanindu Hasaranga and a blazing innings from Nitish Rana propelled Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling six-run victory over Chennai Super Kings in the 11th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.
Rana set the stage alight with a scintillating 81 off just 36 balls, hammering 10 boundaries and five sixes. His commanding knock provided Rajasthan with a solid platform, despite regular wickets falling at the other end. He reached his 50 in style with a cradling-gesture celebration after slapping a short ball over backward point.
Hasaranga then turned the game in Rajasthan’s favour with the ball, picking up four crucial wickets for just 35 runs, including the key dismissals of Rahul Tripathi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Vijay Shankar.
Batting first, Rajasthan posted 182 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs. The innings had an early hiccup as Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for 4 in the opening over, but Rana’s counterattack lifted Rajasthan.
Skipper Riyan Parag chipped in with a composed 37 off 28 balls, while Shimron Hetmyer added a valuable 19. However, the innings lost momentum towards the end, with Chennai bowlers tightening the screws in the final overs. Khaleel Ahmed (2/38) and Matheesha Pathirana (2/28) were the standout performers with the ball for CSK.
Chasing 183, Chennai got off to a disastrous start as Rachin Ravindra departed for a duck, edging Jofra Archer to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel in the opening over.
Ruturaj then took charge, anchoring the innings with a classy 63 off 44 balls. He reached his 50 with a well-placed shot to long-on but could not take his team over the line, falling to Hasaranga in the 16th over. Gaikwad’s innings included some exquisite shots, such as a one-knee sweep against pacer Sandeep Sharma and a late cut through cover-point.
Tripathi contributed 23 off 19 balls, including a well-timed four off Jofra Archer’s short delivery. However, Hasaranga’s decisive spell in the middle overs turned the tide, dismissing Tripathi, Shivam Dube (18 off 10), Vijay Shankar (9 off 6), and Gaikwad in quick succession. Dube’s dismissal was particularly spectacular, with Riyan Parag taking a stunning diving catch at extra cover.
Despite late heroics from Ravindra Jadeja (32* off 22) and M S Dhoni (16 off 11), CSK fell short. Dhoni’s departure in the final over, courtesy of a brilliant diving catch by Hetmyer at deep mid-wicket, ended Chennai’s hopes.
Jamie Overton struck a massive six in the 19th over to reignite CSK’s chances, but Sandeep’s excellent death bowling sealed the win for Rajasthan.
Archer (1/13) in three overs and Sandeep (1/42) provided key breakthroughs for Rajasthan, complementing Hasaranga’s match-winning spell.
With this win, Rajasthan climbed up the points table, showcasing a well-rounded performance led by Rana’s fireworks and Hasaranga’s magic with the ball.
