Rana's 81 powers Royals to victory as CSK's batting woes persist

Rana's Blazing 81 Leads Royals to First Win as CSK Batting Struggles Again

Rajasthan Royals 182 for 9 (Rana 81, Parag 37, Noor 2-28, Pathirana 2-28) beat Chennai Super Kings 176 for 6 (Gaikwad 63, Hasaranga 4-35) by six runs

Nitish Rana’s explosive 81 off just 36 balls set up Rajasthan Royals’ first win of IPL 2025, as they edged past Chennai Super Kings by six runs in a tense finish. CSK, handed their second consecutive loss, were once again let down by a misfiring middle order despite a composed half-century from Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Rana dominates, Royals set competitive total

Rana was promoted to No. 3 to exploit a favorable match-up against R Ashwin and did so brilliantly, smashing 27 off his first 13 balls and then attacking Ashwin with a sequence of 6, 6, 4. Although Ashwin eventually dismissed him for the first time in IPL history, Rana had already inflicted major damage, scoring 58 of RR’s 81 powerplay runs.

Riyan Parag contributed 37, but Royals lost momentum after Rana’s dismissal. Noor Ahmad and Matheesha Pathirana pulled things back with tight spells, while debutant Jamie Overton had a forgettable outing, leaking 30 runs in two overs. RR managed only 17 runs off the last three overs, finishing at 182.

CSK's chase stalls despite Gaikwad’s anchor role

Jofra Archer set the tone with a fiery wicket-maiden, removing Rachin Ravindra for a duck. Tushar Deshpande followed up with a sharp blow to Gaikwad's elbow, as CSK stumbled to 5 for 1 after three overs. Gaikwad and Rahul Tripathi helped recover, but CSK were always behind the rate.

Wanindu Hasaranga, introduced into the attack during the middle overs, dismantled the CSK lineup with 4 for 35. He dismissed Tripathi with his first ball, then sent back Shivam Dube and Vijay Shankar with deceptive wrong’uns. His control and variations exposed CSK's lack of middle-order firepower.

Gaikwad tried to hold things together with a steady 63, but the required rate kept climbing. After he fell trying to up the ante, CSK needed 54 off 25 balls. Jadeja's unbeaten 32 and a brief flourish from Dhoni (16 off 11) narrowed the gap, but Sandeep Sharma held his nerve in the final over, dismissing Dhoni and sealing the win.

Key Moments:

• Rana's Powerplay Carnage: 81 off 36, including a brutal attack on Ashwin

• Hasaranga's Game-Changer: 4 wickets, including CSK's power-hitters

• Jofra's Early Burst: 3 overs in the powerplay, including a wicket-maiden

• Sandeep's Final Over: Held CSK to 12 off 19 required, dismissing Dhoni

Despite a late surge, CSK's inability to accelerate in the middle overs continues to haunt them, while Royals finally get their campaign underway.

Catch the match live updates, highlights, and full match coverage on CricRadio. Get fast, accurate, and ad-free updates throughout the game. Download the CricRadio app from the Play Store to stay connected. You can also get the live scores of cricket series directly on the CricRadio website for real-time coverage.