IPL 2023: Royals flex powerplay muscle
IPL 2023: Royals flex powerplay muscle
With superior performance in the first six overs of both innings, RR complete double over CSK and knock them off the top spot.
SYNOPSIS: It was Rajasthan Royals all the way, from the moment Yashasvi Jaiswal teed off to the bowlers strangling CSK’s batsmen
This was a contest that was done and dusted in the powerplay. If their openers laid a platform for Rajasthan Royals while batting first, their bowlers never really allowed Chennai Super Kings to get off the blocks in the chase of 203. The end result was that Rajasthan became the first team in the ongoing Indian Premier League to make it two out of two against Chennai—which is no easy feat considering their form – as they moved top of the table with a resounding 32-run victory.
If their spinners had given them a famous win in Chennai while defending a par total, on Thursday, their batting unit returned the favour. Winning the toss, Sanju Samson read the conditions perfectly and batted first. With dew not a factor in Jaipur, as humidity was less than 50 percent in the evening, on a pitch where it was getting slower through the night, Samson knew he could bank on their spin trio of R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Adam Zampa to tie down any total that is above par on a big outfield.
The pacers too did their part. Sandeep Sharma, Kuldip Yadav and Jason Holder denied Chennai’s in-form openers Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad a flying start by giving away only 25 runs in the first overs. The job was half done and then the spinners took over. By the time Conway was dismissed off the last ball of the powerplay to Zampa, Chennai had only 42 on board – their lowest total in the powerplay this season – as they desperately sought momentum
However, in the next six overs, four of which were bowled by the spin trio, Rajasthan conceded only 43 runs. Vitally, after Zampa nailed Ruturaj Gaikwad – who was beginning to loosen the screws with a 29-ball 47— Ashwin took over. Having already been at the receiving end of Ashwin in the first round in Chennai, the Super Kings were not willing to take any risks against him, preferring to work around for singles and twos. There were five doubles and just one boundary in the 19 runs he conceded off his first two overs.
But Chennai were in a position where they had to shift gears. Forced by circumstances, Ajinkya Rahane jumped out, but Ashwin slowed it down a bit and made the ball drift into him. Just a subtle variation in the air, but good enough to account for Rahane, who managed to find Jos Buttler at long-on. As Ambati Rayudu came in, Ashwin started with a quick one before delivering one outside the off-stump, making the batsman fetch for the ball. The ball being full, Rayudu’s eyes lit-up and he went for a slog sweep, only to find the fielder at mid-wicket. CSK reeled to 85/4 at the end of the 12th, and it was too much for the middle and lower-order to pull off a heist. Even though Shivam Dube and Moeen Ali tried to revive the visitors with a 51-run partnership off just 25 deliveries, Zampa had the latter as his third victim, and effectively assured two points for his team.
No stopping Yashasvi
With every passing outing this season, Jaiswal is moving ahead in the pecking order among openers waiting in the wings for India’ call-up. After smashing centuries in Duleep Trophy, Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup, the left-hander has been showing through the IPL that switching formats isn’t challenging for him. On Thursday, it was his carnage that set the tone for Rajasthan’s win. After starting the innings with successive boundaries off the first two deliveries, he had six fours and two sixes by the end of powerplay as he put on 64 in the company of Buttler, who was prepared to play second fiddle.
This was not just another knock, but one that would give him further confidence. With Jaiswal being comfortable against pacers, MS Dhoni turned to spinners and though he showed a bit of respect to Maheesh Theekshana, he greeted Ravindra Jadeja with a reverse-hit that sailed over point. At that stage, Rajasthan were going at 10 runs an over ( 85/0 after eight). It was also the period that Dhoni would rue in the end.
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