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IPL 2025: Madhwal leads bowlers’ show as Rajasthan Royals end the season by beating Chennai Super Kings
Despite losing eight matches chasing out of nine, Rajasthan Royals (RR) decided to chase one last time and came out victors with 17 balls to spare. Unlike earlier games, though, their bowlers did well against fellow laggards Chennai Super Kings (CSK), leaving them just 188 to chase on a good batting pitch.Akash Madhwal reversed the ball to restrict CSK in the end to just 17 runs off the last three overs, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi then aced the chase with a measured 57 off 33 deliveries.
Ravichandran Ashwin took two wickets in the 14th over to remind observers of RR’s poor chasing record, but it proved to be nothing more than a stutter. Dhruv Jurel made sure it never got close with a sparkling 31 from 12 balls. The unbeaten batters at the wicket were Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer who have been in the middle in some of the past fluffed chases.
As a result of the win, RR were momentarily off the bottom of the table, but their season was done. CSK were left needing a big win in their last match to avoid finishing at the bottom for the first time in their history.
The start of the game was action-packed, but not easily explained. CSK lost five wickets in 7.4 overs to length balls that didn’t swing or seam. They were not off-pace deliveries either. Of these, one was not even an attacking shot. It was just one of those days when the risks were not coming off, and Yudhvir Singh ended with a haul of three wickets.
For a while in between, the risks did come off for a 56-run stand between Ayush Mhatre and the new No. 4 Ravichandran Ashwin. Mhatre scored 43 off 20 balls, mostly just clearing the infield for eight fours and one six. This meant CSK were going at over 10 runs an over even though they lost five early wickets.
The second half of CSK’s season has been all about identifying a core for the next IPL. Two triumphs in that regard have been their replacement batters, Mhatre and Dewald Brevis. Both shone in Delhi. Brevis scored 42 off 25 deliveries as he and Shivam Dube added 59 runs for the sixth wicket.
In three of their five tight losses, RR have had to contend with the reversing ball. This time, though, they got the ball reversing themselves. Madhwal, who started bowling as late as the 12th over and went for ten runs in his first two balls, quickly realised that the ball was ready for reverse swing, and started going for the yorker.
In his four overs, Madhwal nailed at least eight of them to go with plenty of low full tosses that were difficult to get away. The one that got Brevis off the inside edge was a half volley, but it did tail away, thus causing the mis-hit.
Dube, meanwhile, took care of the spin threat that was reserved for MS Dhoni, thus maintaining the run rate of 10 till the 17th over. But Madhwal and Tushar Deshpande were excellent in the last three overs. For once the RR batters were not going to have to chase an above-par total.
The target this time was exactly what RR scored to tie the game against Delhi Capitals at the same venue, but this was a better batting pitch. For the 13th time in the IPL, Yashasvi Jaiswal hit the first legal delivery of the innings for a boundary – a record. This one, though, came off the glove in an over that he hardly middled the ball. By the time he started his second over, though, Khaleel Ahmed had lost the movement, and Jaiswal raced away to 36 off 19 balls.
This time, Suryavanshi and Sanju Samson had the opportunity too get a sighter or two thanks to their bowlers and the quick start provided by Jaiswal. It didn’t take Suryavanshi long, though. He hit six, four and four in Noor Ahmad’s first over, and took sixes in Ravindra Jadeja’s first.
The one spinner that Suryavanshi couldn’t hit was negotiated by Samson. He hit a six in each of former team-mate Ashwin’s overs to make sure RR stayed ahead of the asking rate.
By the time Ashwin gave CSK a glimmer of hope, getting the better of former captain Samson and Suryavanshi in the 14th over, the ask had already come down to 50 runs. Suryavanshi had again dazzled the observers, this time with his measured approach to go with his hitting prowess.
Jurel, though, didn’t let CSK consolidate their gains. He hit Jadeja for a six and a four, Noor for a four, and then Ashwin for a six. In perfect symmetry, it was an 18-run Ashwin over that ended CSK’s brief comeback.
Brief scores:
Rajasthan Royals 188 for 4 in 17.1 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 57, Sanju Samson 41, Yashasvi Jaiswal 36, Dhruv Jurel 31*, Shimron Hetmyer 12*; Anshul Kamboj 1-21, Raviichandran Ashwin 2-41, Noor Ahmad 1-42) beat Chennai Super Kings 187 for 8 in 20 overs (Ayush Mhatre 43, Devon Conway 10, Ravichandran Ashwin 13, Dewald Brevis 42, Shivam Dube 39, MS Dhoni 16; Tushar Dushpande 1-33, Akash Madhwal 3-29, Yudhvir Singh 3-47, Wanidu Hasaranga 1-37) by six wickets
[Cricinfo]
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U – 19 World Cup: Sri Lanka beat Ireland by 106 runs
In Windhoek, Sri Lanka strode to 267 for 5, with Vimath Dinsara hitting 95, and Chamika Heenatigala hitting 51. That pair put on a 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but there had also been a solid contribution from Kavija Gamage, who made 49. Ireland seamer Oliver Riley who took 2 for 51, dismissing top-scorer Dinsara and also Viran Chamuditha, who had made 192 in the last match.
But Ireland were timid in response. Behind the required rate from early in the piece, they also lost frequent wickets. They were struggling at 66 for 2 in the 19th over, but were soon 96 for 6 in the 27th over, the match essentially having slipped away. They were eventually dismissed for 161 in the 41st over. The right-arm seamers did the damage for Sri Lanka, Rasith Nimsara taking 3 for 29, and Dulnith Sigera claiming 4 for 19.
This victory puts Sri Lanka at the top of Group A, with a Net Run Rate of 3.090 – the best in the tournament so far.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka Under 19s 267 for 5 in 50 overs (Vimath Dinsara 95, Kavija Gamage 49, Chamika Heenatigala 51*; Oliver Riley 2-51) beat Ireland Under 19s 161 in 40.1 overs (Callum Armstrong 39; Rasith Nimsara 3-29, Dulnith Sigera 4-19) by 106 runs
(Cricinfo)
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U – 19 World Cup: Rowles, Bulbulia star in South Africa’s big win over Tanzania
South Africa monstered the Tanzania side over in Windhoek, Muhammed Bulbulia and Jason Rowles hitting hundreds to get South Africa to 397 for 5, before their bowlers blasted Tanzania out for 68.
Tanzania had begun encouragingly, although South Africa were always scoring quickly. They had taken two South Africa wickets inside the first 14 overs, and had South Africa at 93 for 2 at one stage. But then Bulbulia and Rowles came together, to take the game rapidly away from the opposition, with a 201-run partnership that came off 176 balls.
Rowles was the more aggressive of the pair in the end, clobbering five sixes and ten fours in his 125 not out off 101 deliveries. Bulbulia hit one six and ten fours in his run-a-ball 108. Paul James also produced a rollicking finishing knock, crashing five sixes and two fours in his 46 off 18.
Tanzania could not get off the blocks in the chase. South Africa took their first wicket in the second over, and just did not stop striking, the wickets spread between all five bowlers used.
Rowles added to his outstanding performance by claiming two wickets for 14 with his left-arm spin. Bayanda Majola also took two wickets, for six runs.
Brief scores:
South Africa Under-19s 397 for 5 in 50 overs (Jason Rowles 125, Muhammed Bulbulia 108, Jorich Van Schalkwyk 47, Paul James 46; Simba Mbaki 2-85) beat Tanzania Under-19s 68 in 32.2 overs (Simba Mbaki 17; Bayanda Majola 2-6, Jason Rowles 2-14) by 329 runs
(Cricibfo)
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U – 19 World Cup: Raza, Usman steer Pakistan to victory over Scotland
Pakistan quick Ali Raza rattled Scotland with his pace early on, before left-arm wristspinner Momin Qamar helped take down the middle order. Scotland showed some mettle, particularly during a 68-run seventh-wicket partnership that raised their total to a creditable 187.
But it was clear they were outgunned. Many Scotland batters were uncomfortable against Ali’s pace, and struggled to read Pakistan’s wristspinners. Raza deservedly emerged with the game’s best figures, taking 4 for 37 – two of those wickets having come in a memorable first over. Qamar took 3 for 46. Scotland’s highest scorer was captain Thomas Knight, who ground out a 72-ball 37, before Qamar slipped a beautifully-flighted delivery past his defences.
Despite some gutsy batting from Finlay Jones and Manu Saraswat down the order, Scotland always seemed headed to a sub-par score, even given the seamer-friendly conditions in Harare. When they lost two wickets in the first over – Raza bowling Theo Robinson and Max Chaplin with outstanding deliveries – they were in danger of being skittled quickly. But they battled through until the 49th over.
Pakistan’s chase was mostly straightforward. Scotland’s seamers got some movement with the new ball, and Ollie Jones was able to extract two wickets by the 12th over. But No. 3 batter Usman Khan struck 75, and Ahmed Hussain – who had earlier taken a sublime catch – joined him for a 111-run stand that made the game safe. They got home with six wickets to spare, in the 44th over.
Brief scores:
Pakistan Under-19s 190 for 4 in 43.1 9vers (Usman Khan 75, Ahmed Hussain 47; Ollie Jones 2-41, Manu Saraswat 2-46) beat Scotland Under-19s 187 in 48.1 overs (Thomas Knight 37; Ali Raza 4-37, Momin Qamar 3-46, Abdul Subhan 2-36) by six wickets
(Cricinfo)
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