IPL 2023: Yashasvi Jaiswal rises up to the occasion as RR complete double over CSK

April 27, 2023

Just like how Kolkata Knight Riders completed the double over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League, Rajasthan Royals did the same against Chennai Super Kings in Jaipur on Thursday.

IPL 2023: Full coverage | Points table | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap​

Before the match, CSK were on top of the IPL standings with 10 points. But, that changed following the Royals’ victory over Chennai, with Sanju Samson and Co taking the top spot, albeit momentarily.

On Thursday against CSK, young Yashasvi Jaiswal stepped up. He stepped up at the right time, giving his team the startthey needed after batting first.

Jaiswal and Buttler are synonymous for fifty-run partnerships, and it was a similar story on Thursday. Jaiswal was hitting the shots right from the word go. He began RR’s innings with a boundary, facing Akash Singh, and punishing him with a smash through covers for four.

Jaiswal then collected another boundary the very next ball, dispatching between extra cover and mid-off for another boundary. Jaiswal’s boundary off the fourth ball was different as he decided to flick towards short midwicket and finding the fence.

There were early signs of aggression from Jaiswal. The runs never really dried up for the 21-year-old, as he continued collecting fours and sixes on a regular basis. He got to his fifty inside just 26 balls, with as many as six fours and three sixes. That’s how aggressive Jaiswal was, playing a fearless brand of cricket to decimate the bowlers.

For Jaiswal, though, it was not the pressure of having to have a good start and do well. It was about maintaining a high strike-rate, because Jaiswal himself was aware of the situation. He knew his team had to get to at least 200, else they would be in for a tough time.

“It is not about just this season, I have been putting in the effort with the team management and I keep speaking to senior players like Dhoni sir and Virat bhai. I enjoy pressure and want to be there when there is pressure. I was only thinking of keeping my strike rate high and I knew we need 200 to defend on this surface,” said Jaiswal at the presentation ceremony.

Jaiswal was right. Given the depth of CSK’s batting line-up, on a perfect batting surface, RR did the right thing: Win the toss and not only bat, but to get to a safe total that was defendable.

For CSK, however, their chase did not go as they would have wanted to. Devon Conway (8) and Ajinkya Rahane (15) were dismissed even before they could have a say in the game, but it was once again Shivam Dube (52) who rose up to the occasion.

He came into bat in the 10th over with a task in hand. CSK were 69/2 then, and needed one big partnership to revive their hopes.

But, that just could not happen. Rahane and Ambati Rayudu departed in quick succession, and Moeen Ali, despite some aggression, departed for 23 off 12, Dube needed more than a 51-run stand with Moeen to make the chase happen, but just like how he lost two partners at the other end, Moeen too was dismissed.

The target was already looking improbable by the time Moeen was dismissed. CSK were 124/5 in the 15th over, and whatever they tried to do, it backfired.

Dube even hit Holder for a six and two fours in the 17th over, but soon after that, the runs dried up, and the required rate was almost 20 off the last three overs.

Eventually, CSK ended up well short of the target (32 runs). Had CSK got a vital, productive partnership at the top of the batting order, things would have been different, and there would have been a somewhat tense chase.

Afterall, it was Jaiswal’s aggressive batting that was the difference in the game, and in fact, Dhoni even admitted to giving away ‘too many runs’ in the powerplay.

“It (target) was quite a bit above par. The reason was the first six overs, gave too many runs, but at the same time the pitch was best to bat on at that time,” said Dhoni after the match.

Both RR and CSK are next in action on Sunday. While RR travel to Wankhede Stadium to face Mumbai Indians, CSK host Punjab Kings in the afternoon match the same day.

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