Hello and welcome to Sportstar's coverage of IPL 2021 Match 47 between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from Abu Dhabi.
Players Speak
An absolute thriller in Abu Dhabi. Not the usual close shaves that'd keep you going, but just madcap batting from either side on a lively wicket. Rajasthan's win puts four sides in the run for the fourth spot! KKR, PBKS, MI and RR all stick to 10 points in 12 games! A humdinger finish is in the offing, folks!
RR 190/3 in 17.3 overs: Dube lobs the first ball over the bowler for two runs. Asif goes down with possible cramps. RR is two away from an epic win. Moeen to finish off the over as Asif walks off. Dube nudges a single to long-on. One to win with Philips on strike. He carves it to the deep on the off-side and RR romp home by 7 wickets!
Asif into the attack
RR 188/3 in 17 overs: Curran slips one out of his hand and the ball loops over Glenn Phillips who runs behind the stumps and attempts to hit it. He shares a wry smile but there's no fooling around for the free-hit as he hammers it down through covers for four. Phillips whips Curran off the last ball with a magnificent swivel pull for six. RR needs 4 from 18. What a night, ladies and gentlemen!
20 needed off 24. Curran to bowl
RR 170/3 in 16 overs: Thakur to Samson. OUT! Pulls straight to Ruturaj at square leg. Thakur bumps it in straight and Samson's well set for the pull. The ball climbs just a bit too high on the bat as Samson pulls the ball to the deep. It fails to beat the fielder and the skipper falls at the fag end of the chase. He'd certainly like to believe the chase has been bagged already. Sanju Samson c Gaikwad b Thakur 28 (24b 4x4)
RR 165/2 in 15 overs: Hazlewood bangs it short onto the ribs and Dube swivels and pulls it behind fine leg for another boundary. Samson keeps his anchor down and continues to rotate strike with singles.
RR 160/2 in 14 overs: Maiden IPL fifty for Shivam Dube! What an innings in the context of the chase and Rajasthan's campaign. He tonked the ball with some power off the spinners after a slow start.
Dhoni brings Thakur. RR needs 37 in 7 overs!
RR 153/2 in 13 overs: 150 UP FOR RAJASTHAN! After all the crazy willow-wielding, Samson takes RR past the 150-mark with a touch of class. Hazlewood keeps it straight on the stumps and Samson carves a boundary by gently nudging it fine down leg.
Hazlewood returns
RR 141/2 in 12 overs: This is carnage from Dube! He takes out the leg-side field with some manic bat swing, a four followed by a flat six. Curran is next in the firing line as Dube smokes one straight to the bowler's leg to floor him. Curran's in some pain as he gets back on his feet and beats the outside edge of the last ball.
Curran is back
RR 127/2 in 11 overs: Asif keeps it tight on the stumps and the batters resort to single to keep the score ticking. They find one of each ball and Asif oversteps off the last ball. A fine free-hit delivery in the blockhole and only he concedes just eight in the over.
RR 119/2 in 10 overs: Dube takes Moeen to the cleaners! Bowl him in that fine channel of his bat swing and he will make you pay. Moeen gives away just about the perfect room for Dube to swivel and he slams another big blow over midwicket for six. He waltzes the bowler further with a straight hit over the stands for another mighty maximum. Some headstart this for RR. Perhaps the other RR (run-rate) is also in their calculations.
RR 104/2 in 9 overs: Dube cuts loose and how! Jadeja misses the length by a whisker and Dube swings his arms and slams the ball into orbit. A massive stroke over long-on and that's the 100 for RR in nine overs!
Jadeja into the attack.
RR 95/2 in 8 overs: Dube's struggling to get a move on. The blitzkrieg at the start will provide some cushion. Moeen skips through his over after Samson's first ball boundary with a reverse-sweep.
Moeen Ali to resume.
TIMEOUT
RR 89/2 in 7 overs: Asif to Jaiswal. OUT! Asif gets him first ball! A quick bumper angled at the shoulders. Jaiswal ducks and attempts to ramp it over but the pace dismisses his ploy. The ball clips the edge of the glove and MSD makes no mistake behind the stumps. A sensational innings from the youngster comes to a pale end. Samson regains strike from Dube and flicks Asif off his hips to find another boundary to finish the over. Yashasvi Jaiswal c †Dhoni b Asif 50 (21b 6x4 3x6)
KM Asif up with the ball.
RR 81/1 in 6 overs: Thakur to Lewis. OUT! Pulls and finds the man at fine leg! The ball rises a bit too much for the stroke but Lewis opts to swing anyway. He mistimes it by a fine margin and Hazlewood grabs a simple catch on the boundary. Some respite here for CSK at the end of the Powerplay. Sanju's the new man. He finishes the Powerplay with a tinge of class. A glorious drive for four through cover. Evin Lewis c Hazlewood b Thakur 27 (12b 2x4 2x6)
RR 75/0 in 5 overs: Hazlewood's back. Jaiswal goes 6,6,4 and 6 to smash the second-fastest fifty by an uncapped batter in IPL history! The Aussie's line and length is deflated by some exceptional ball-striking in the 'V'. All or nothing for RR and Jaiswal's employed that philosophy from the start in some style.
RR 53/0 in 4 overs: Rajasthan crosses 50 in four overs! It's raining boundaries in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Thakur errs in length as he tosses the short ball to Lewis who'd take it all day. He swivels and tucks one behind square for a boundary before whipping the last ball over mid-wicket for a maximum. Must say this is some poor bowling from the CSK bowlers to start off.
Thakur replaces Hazlewood
RR 41/0 in 3 overs: This is a fine response to set things up for Rajasthan! Curran's loose on length and Lewis pummels him first ball over long-on for six. He aces the pull to perfection next ball and finds another boundary. Curran offers width and Lewis finds fortune off the edge. It flies through the fine gap between first slip and short third and races for another boundary. Dream start this for RR!
RR 24/0 in 2 overs: Jaiswal on the charge! Hazlewood slides one in but Jaiswal's thickish outside edge parries the ball over backward point for four. He gets a huge reprieve as Rayudu drops a tough chance rolling backward at midwicket. Boundaries incoming as Hazlewood's smoked for two exquisite strokes over cover and square to finish.
Hazlewood from the other end
RR 8/0 in 1 over: Jaiswal off the blocks with a boundary through cover. Curran finds a hint of shape away from the left-handed pair. Lewis and Jasiwal chip in with a few singles. They must remain proactive and cannot allow the bowlers dictate terms early on.
Curran up with the new ball.
Evin Lewis and Yashasvi Jaiswal walk out for RR. Do or die for the men in pink.
Back for the chase! Dhoni's men huddle beside the fence before jogging in.
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Rajasthan hopes might have taken a massive hit by the last 20 minutes or so. They seemed to have had CSK by the leash for a brief period with wickets coming in at regular intervals. But as Gaikwad went from 43-ball 50 to 60-ball 101* , Samson and Co. were in for a pounding tonight. The equation as always remains simple: 190 runs to stay in the hunt for the playoffs.
CSK 189/4 in 20 overs: HUNDRED FOR RUTURAJ GAIKWAD!
It comes in emphatic fashion with him requiring five off the last ball. He sets himself deep in the crease and bangs it over mid-wicket for six!
Wow, take a bow, Rutu! Jadeja seemed to have obstructed the man's moment for some time with a whirlwind of his own. He unleashed two spell-binding sixes on the on-side and set the tone for a top finish here.
CSK 167/4 in 19 overs: Jadeja consumes the entire over and finds 12 runs. He whips Sakariya past square leg for four. He takes a single of the last ball and Ruturaj is stranded on 93 with an over left. Can he gratify his side and himself with one final flourish?
CSK 155/4 in 18 overs: Gaikwad hits the peak! Fizz is walloped over the boundary for a massive six on the leg-side. Geez, the sound off the bat! Jadeja gets into the act as he slices a lower full-toss past the point fielder for four and that's 150 up for CSK.
Fizz into the attack
CSK 141/4 in 17 overs: Sakariya to Rayudu. OUT! Holes out to Phillips at deep mid-wicket fence. The slower one from Sakariya troubles Rayudu's timing as he aims to clear the on-side boundary. Phillips calculates the catch precisely as he tumbles to the ground with the ball inches away from the line. Gaikwad continues to find the boundaries. Sakariya offers him room and he hits another breezy boundary over mid-off. Rayudu c Glenn Phillips b Chetan Sakariya 2(4)
Sakariya is back
CSK 134/3 in 16 overs: Akash drags the ball into Ruturaj who easily flicks it for a single. Akash goes down as he slips in his follow-through, forcing a break in play. It's a long delay. Akash has his shoes off. Perhaps the heat has forced some cramps. He's back on. And Ruturaj makes him dread the decision to come back on! WOW! This eye-popping stuff from Gaikwad. Akash sends in a bouncer and Gaikwad finds the top-edge boundary over Samson. He follows up with a mere backfoot punch lofted over mid-off for a stunning boundary. He finishes the over in style with a cracking pull over backward square for six!
Akash Singh into the attack
CSK 116/3 in 15 overs: Tewatia to Ali. OUT! Excellent work from Tewatia and Samson. Ali is stumped! Some relief for Tewatia after two glorious sixes from Gaikwad down the ground. Ali follows suit by dancing down the wicket but Tewatia sees it and fires the ball wide. Samson does well to press down to his wide left and flips back to smash the stumps. Moeen Ali st †Samson b Tewatia 21 (17b 1x4 1x6)
CSK 100/2 in 14 overs: FIFTY for Rutu and that's 100 up for CSK! Slightly on the slower side but Gaikwad has played well to the rhythm of the game. The challenge for him will be to lift the scoring rate from here.
CSK 97/2 in 13 overs: All class from Mo!
Markande opens with a googly and Moeen picks it well and slams it to the long-on fence for four. The leggie fends short from around the wicket and Moeen easily tonks it over mid-wicket for a maximum to finish. The ease on the shots is a delight to watch.
CSK 83/2 in 12 overs: On the charge again! Gaikwad splits the off-side fielders with perfection once again as he lofts Tewatia over cover for four. Moeen and Gaikwad keep busy and sneak in some quick runs as 13 runs come from the over.
CSK 70/2 in 11 overs: Brilliant from Rutu! Markande flights one in to Gaikwad. He swiftly creates room on the off and lofts the elegantly over covers for four. Splits the long-on and mid-wicket fielder with absolute precision there.
CSK 63/2 in 10 overs: The boundaries have dried up. Akash fires the ball into the stumps and Moeen struggles to break free. Akash directs a fine bouncer and again shares a few words with the batter. Some toughness on debut there but he gets a word of caution from the umpire.
Akash Singh is back
CSK 59/2 in 9 overs: Tewatia to Raina. OUT! Drags it straight to the fielder at deep mid-wicket! Raina's horrendous season continues as he fails to shine on his 200th game for CSK. Tewatia's the man with the golden arm tonight. He tosses it wide and invites Raina to play the slog over the on-side fence. Raina takes on the challenge of clearing the longer side but fails to get the desired timing on it. Moeen Ali joins Gaikwad. He's off the mark with a single down to long-off. Raina c Shivam Dube b Rahul Tewatia 3 (5b)
CSK 52/1 in 8 overs: Markande angles the ball into Raina's pads. He tucks it to the on-side and gets a single. He cramps the batters for room and they tread on singles.
Mayank Markande replaces Fizz
CSK 48/1 in 7 overs: Tewatia to du Plessis. OUT! Foxes Faf with a straighter one and Samson does the rest! Tewatia floats it in on the middle-stump line as Faf dances down the wicket. He misses it altogether as he aims to tuck it fine. Beats him and Samson collects it well before smashing the stumps. Faf du Plessis st †Samson b Tewatia 25 (19b 2x4 1x6)
Tewatia into the attack
CSK 44/0 in 6 overs: Glorious from du Plessis! Mustafizur hits the length while angling towards the leg. du Plessis steps to his left and tonks the ball over long-on for six! A collision to follow as Faf sets out on a single. He bangs into Mustafizur at the non-striker's and both men fall down and we have a delay. They are back on, thankfully. Gaikwad gets a single to mark the end of the Powerplay.
CSK 34/0 in 5 overs: Faf on the move! du Plessis charges to Sakariya first-ball and slams the ball past the mid-on fielder for an exquisite boundary. A stroke of luck again for Faf as Sakariya's cutter clips the outside-edge and flies over the short third fielder for another four. Sakariya then squares up Gaikwad with a straighter one that skims through the line as Gaikwad attempts a rash heave.
Sakariya switches ends
CSK 25/0 in 4 overs: Fizz offers no pace to the batters as he employs the cutters to good effect. du Plessis and Gaikwad nudge about the inner-circle and find four runs.
Mustafizur replaces Chetan. Some royalty to have three left-arm seamers in the order!
CSK 20/0 in 3 overs: A hint for fortune for both batters! Akash swings the ball into Faf who flicks it aerially towards mid-wicket. Phillips makes ground and nearly reaches the ball on the full. Looks like a tough drop there. Akash then takes the ball away from over the wicket to Gaikwad who edges it past the keeper for four. Sanju misses a trick with no first-slip there. Young Akash lets his frustration out by hurling a few words at Gaikwad
CSK 12/0 in 2 overs: Fine start for Sakariya. He mixes up the length while attacking the stumps and varies his pace to keep Gaikwad and Faf on their toes. Just the two singles in the over.
Chetan Sakariya from the opposite end
CSK 10/0 in 1 over: Ruturaj on his way! A glorious way to open his account as he sends the debutant's first delivery straight down to the boundary with a crisp straight drive. Akash bowls in the fine channel before loosening up again on the last ball. Gaikwad stands firm on the crease and punches the ball off the back-foot through covers for another boundary. Top start for CSK.
Akash Singh up with the new ball for RR.
Game On! du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad at the middle for CSK.
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Chennai Super Kings XI : Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran , Shardul Thakur, KM Asif , Josh Hazlewood
Rajasthan Royals XI : Evin Lewis, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Shivam Dube, Glenn Phillips, David Miller , Rahul Tewatia, Akash Singh, Mayank Markande , Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman
Another milestone for MSD!
TOSS TIME!
6:52PM IST: The all-important toss coming up. Can RR make the right changes tonight? Samson's men are right on the brink while Dhoni's CSK might roll in a few changes given that its qualification is sealed.
PITCH REPORT from Nick Knight and Pommie Mbangwa: 'It's a new pitch and has not been used before this season. This is the best looking pitch, flat wicket with a good covering of grass. Wouldn't be much quick, neither will it spin much. It has an odd crack though. The fast bowlers need to stick to the back of a length area and use their variations. Expect it to be a batting-friendly pitch, reckon Nick Knight and Pommie Mbangwa.'
6:36PM IST: David Miller to the broadcaster: We definitely have a chance to qualify if we win our next three games. You are always going to have games where you will regret sometimes, the closer ones. We need to do well in the next three games. It's my second year at Rajasthan and it has really been enjoyable. We have a young side, a lot of local boys who have a lot of potential. Hopefully we can put the learning and potential onto the field and get going..
6:27PM IST: Numbers Game
5:35PM IST: RR vs CSK HEAD TO HEAD
Match Preview
Rajasthan Royals will face a tough test against table-toppers Chennai Super Kings in Abu Dhabi on Saturday in a match that could decide its fate in the competition.
Royals, currently placed seventh in the table with just four wins, need to win its remaining three matches by good margins to have any hope of reaching the playoffs.
In the absence of its star players, the team has been outplayed in its last three matches.
If not for Kartik Tyagi’s brilliant final over against Punjab Kings, the team would not even have the solitary win it has in the UAE so far.
The main problem for the Royals has been its misfiring middle-order with an over-reliance on skipper Sanju Samson.
In the last game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, the former champions squandered a promising start to slump from 100/1 to 149/9.
CSK, on other hand, has no pressure after it sealed its playoff berth with a six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday.
With nine wins from 11 matches, the team can now afford to experiment with players who have not played regularly, and coach Stephen Fleming stated that the team would look into it.
“We will certainly talk about how we can manage our players, making sure that we manage the team that played today (on Thursday) and also the opportunities for guys who are on the fringe. So we have (been) afforded that luxury now, but we won't be too experimental,” said Fleming.
RR vs CSK DREAM 11 PREDICTION
Rajasthan: 4/7 | Chennai: 7/7
Wicketkeeper: Sanju Samson
Batters: Ambati Rayudu, Faf du Plessis, Evin Lewis, Ruturaj Gaikwad
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja (c) , Dwayne Bravo (vc) , Mahipal Lomror
Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Mustafizur Rahman, Shardul Thakur
Credits left: 0.0
Where to watch today's match?
The IPL 2021 match between RR and CSK will be aired live on Star Sports channels - Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 3 HD at 7:30pm. The online streaming will be available on Hotstar.
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