IPL 2021 | Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali’s destructive spells power CSK to a 45-run win against Rajasthan Royals
CSK vs RR: Spin twins Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali were the chief destroyers as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pulled off a crucial win against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Match 12 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 on Monday (April 19).
On a Wankhede Stadium track in Mumbai offering a hint of grip to the spinners in the second half, Jadeja and Moeen ran through the RR batting order and played significant roles in helping CSK defend their score of 188/9.
Also Read: IPL 2021: Where Should Moeen Ali Bat For Chennai Super Kings (CSK)?
While Jadeja ended with figures of 2/28 off his four overs, Moeen ended up taking three scalps for just seven runs from his own spell. The left-arm tweaker combined beautifully with the off-spinner to dismiss five RR batsmen between them as CSK allowed the opposition to reach only as far as 143/9 in 20 overs in their quest.
Jos Buttler (49) was the stand-out batter for RR in the run-chase, with him batting quite competently through his 35-ball stay at the crease. Once he was dismissed off a peach of a delivery by Jadeja, however, CSK bossed the game as only Rahul Tewatia (20) and Jaydev Unadkat (24) reached the 20-run mark among other RR batters.
Left-arm pacer Sam Curran (2/24) and right-arm quick Shardul Thakur (1/20) also contributed three wickets between them towards their team’s cause.
CSK vs RR – Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali Catch RR In The Spin As CSK Win Big
CSK vs RR: Earlier in the game, CSK reached near the 200-mark after being asked to bat first upon losing the toss, with RR skipper Sanju Samson perhaps anticipating another easy-paced track to chase in the second half.
CSK didn’t have the perfect outing with the bat and seemed to have been struggling at different stages. But handy contributions in their lengthy batting line-up from the likes of Faf du Plessis (33), Moeen (26), Ambati Rayudu (27), Dwayne Bravo (20*) and the rest ensured that they had a fighting total to defend.
Also Read: Krunal Pandya begins quest to be the strongest back-up to Ravindra Jadeja
For RR, Chetan Sakariya (3/36) bagged another three-fer this IPL and all-rounder Chris Morris (2/33) also added a couple of wickets to his tournament tally. A quiet but impressive contribution came from leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia (1/21), who delivered an economical spell when the surface was at its truest.
In the end, however, the decent effort from RR’s bowlers was let down by the poor performance of their batters, especially against some quality spin bowling by Jadeja and Moeen. For his all-round display, Moeen also received the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
This was RR’s second defeat of the tournament after three matches. The inaugural season champions are languishing in the bottom half of the points table in what are still the early days of the IPL 2021.
CSK, on the other hand, would’ve felt grown in confidence after two successive wins under their belt following the opening game loss versus Delhi Capitals (DC).
Brief scores:
Chennai Super Kings 188/9 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 33, Ambati Rayudu 27; Chetan Sakariya 3-36) beat Rajasthan Royals 143/9 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 49; Moeen Ali 3-7) by 45 runs.