Rajasthan end IPL campaign on a winning note; Samson, Suryavanshi forge strong partnership

NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Suryavanshi and skipper Sanju Samson’s blitzkrieg, topped up by Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fiery start, sealed a six-wicket triumph with 17 balls to spare for Rajasthan Royals over Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Yashasvi Jaiswal (36) and a 98-run partnership between Samson and Suryavanshi kept Rajasthan in control and lifted the team to a commanding victory in their final game of the season.

In pursuit of the 188-run target, the Royals got off to a brisk start with the young opening pair of Jaiswal and Suryavanshi tormenting Chennai bowlers by firing all cylinders. Out of the two southpaws, Yashasvi was the aggressor and unleashed a scathing attack on Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj.

He raced to 36 in 18 deliveries after afflicting misery on Khaleel by reeling off three fours and a towering maximum in the third over. After Jaiswal’s slight inside edge curved the ball’s trajectory straight into the stumps, Kamboj ended his adventurous outing.

Suryavanshi and skipper Sanju Samson added 98 runs for the second wicket to break the backbone of Chennai’s defence. The 14-year-old Rajashan’s prodigy, Suryavanshi, brought up his half-century in style. He muscled the ball over deep square to add another milestone to his name.

Ravichandran Ashwin broke the 98-run stand by punching Samson’s (41) return ticket, and then Suryavanshi’s (57) was in the same over. Noor Ahmad bamboozled Riyan Parag with a googly, but Chennai were far behind in the game.

Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer stayed till the end and steered Rajashtan to a victory in their final game of the 18th season of the cash-rich league.

Earlier in the match, Rajasthan captain Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to bowl first in the 62nd encounter of the ongoing 18th edition of the cash-rich league. Opening batters Ayush Mhatre and Devon Conway came out to kick off the innings for the Super Kings.

The Chennai-based franchise didn’t have the start which they wanted as they lost the first two wickets of Conway (10) and Urvil Patel (0) at the score of 12 on the bowling of right-arm seamer Yudhvir Singh in the second over of the innings.

After two quick wickets, experienced campaigner Ravichandran Ashwin came out in the middle to bat along with young Mhatre. Both the batters combined to score 24 runs in the fourth over with the help of two boundaries and maximums, which Yudhvir Singh bowled.

The MS Dhoni-led side crossed the 50-run mark in the fifth over as Mhatre slammed a six on the bowling of left-arm pacer Kwena Maphaka.
The CSK side lost their next two wickets in quick succession. First, they lost the wicket of Ashwin (13) in the seventh over, then they lost the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja (1) at the score of 78 in the eighth over.

After the fall of five wickets, the Chennai team were 78/5 in 8 overs with Dewald Brevis (8*) and Shivam Dube (0*) unbeaten on the crease.

In the 10th over, the Chennai side touched 100 runs as Brevis smashed a maximum on the bowling of spinner Riyan Parag.

Brevis (42 runs off 25 balls) was sent back in the 14th over as he was cleaned up by right-arm fast bowler Akash Madhwal on the fourth ball.
In the 15th over, the CSK franchise completed the 150-run mark as Parag bowled a wide.

In the end, Dube (39 runs from 32 balls) and MS Dhoni (16 runs in 17 balls) scored crucial runs, which took the Chennai side to a good total of 187/8 after the completion of the first innings.

For the Sanju Samson-led side, three wickets each were snapped by Yudhvir Singh (3/47) and Akash Madhwal (3/29) & one wicket each was grabbed by Tushar Deshpande (1/33) and Wanindu Hasaranga (1/27) in their respective four overs. (ANI)