Rajasthan Royals Hold Nerve, Beat Chennai Super Kings by 6 Runs in a Last-Over Thriller

Rajasthan Royals (RR) clinched their first win of IPL 2025, securing a narrow 6-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a thrilling contest that went down to the final over.

Opting to bat first, RR were jolted early with the dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the opening over. However, Nitish Rana turned the tide with an explosive knock of 81 from just 36 balls, hammering 10 fours and 5 sixes. His brilliance, alongside Sanju Samson’s quickfire start and Riyan Parag’s 37 off 28, helped RR post a competitive total of 182/9. Despite a late collapse, RR’s strong middle-order efforts kept them in the game. For CSK, Khaleel Ahmed (2/38), Pathirana (2/28), and Noor Ahmad (2/28) played pivotal roles, taking regular wickets to stall RR’s progress.

Chasing 183, CSK lost Rachin Ravindra for a duck, but Ruturaj Gaikwad’s composed 63 off 44 balls kept them in the hunt. Supported by Dube and Jadeja, CSK's chase was revived. The key turning point came in the middle overs when Wanindu Hasaranga’s magical spell of 4 wickets for 35 turned the game. His scalps included crucial wickets of Tripathi, Dube, Shankar, and Gaikwad, three of them following sixes off the previous deliveries.

Despite a valiant effort from MS Dhoni and Jadeja in the final overs, a stunning catch from Hetmyer to dismiss Dhoni and a tight final over from Sandeep Sharma sealed the win for RR. Overton's late six kept CSK’s hopes alive, but it wasn’t enough to prevent RR from holding on to their slim advantage.

Also Read: CSK’s Death Bowling Masterclass Restricts Rajasthan Royals to 182/9 in Guwahati