Rajasthan Royals (RR) secured their place in the IPL 2022 playoffs with a thrilling five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai on Friday (May 20).
Opting to bat first, the defending champions posted 150/6 in their 20 overs. All-rounder Moeen Ali starred with the bat for CSK, scoring 93 off 57 balls with 13 fours and 3 sixes.
Obed McCoy was the stand-out bowler for RR, claiming two wickets by conceding only 20 runs in his four overs. The spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal (2-26) and R Ashwin (1-28) also returned with impressive bowling figures.
In reply, the Royals got over the line with two deliveries to spare. While RR lost Jos Buttler (2), Sanju Samson (15) and Devdutt Padikkal (3) cheaply, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal held the one end firmly and played a stunning knock of 44-ball 59.
After Jaiswal’s dismissal, Ashwin took the onus and once again proved his worth with the willow. Amid the pressure situation, the spin all-rounder produced a match-winning knock of 23-ball 40* (2 fours and 3 sixes) to guide the Rajasthan Royals home.
With this victory, RR didn’t only qualify for the playoffs but also moved to the second spot on the points table. They will now face the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 on May 24 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
For holding their nerves in the chase, Ashwin and Jaiswal garnered rich praises from the cricket fraternity on Twitter.
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