CSK vs RR Highlights, IPL 2024: CSK 145/5 (18.2 ov); Ruturaj guides Chennai to a win after solid bowling effort

Player of the match: Simarjeet Singh for his three-wicket haul 

Significant win for the men in yellow ?

That moves the @ChennaiIPL to 3??rd in the Points Table ?

Scorecard ?? https://t.co/1JsX9W2grC#TATAIPL | #CSKvRR pic.twitter.com/LkpwyKjEl9

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 12, 2024

Just a little more on that Jadeja dismissal obstructing the field. To be clear, even if Jadeja was not intentionally trying to get in the way of this throw (that is why he was disappointed arguably), the turn-radius was a bit too big for any benefit of doubt.

The second match of the day is underway and it is a HUGE one between DC and RCB in Bengaluru. 

Follow live updates here. 

CSK WIN BY 5 WICKETS: Well that was a fun match wasn't it? Lovely ebbs and flows, a rare dismissal, some interesting tactics that made the match quite gripping. CSK keep their playoffs hope alive. Will they be back in Chennai for Qualifier 2 or the final though? 

FOUR! Sameer Rizvi nails a drive through cover and the scores are level. 

CSK need 5 off 12 balls. Remember the fans have been asked to stay back after this match... 

The cheers keep getting louder as Dhoni keeps appearing on the big screen, but Gaikwad too gets a loud round of applause as he nails a pull shot for six. Now CSK need only 5 runs and it is unlikely Dhoni is going to come out to bat 

Amid all that, yeah, Sameer has come in ahead of Dhoni. The crowd is chanting Dhoni's name now as he is shown on the big screen. 

Here's the reason why Jadeja was given out obstructing the field: "For the avoidance of doubt, if an umpire feels that a batter, in running between the wickets, has significantly changed his direction without probable cause and thereby obstructed a fielder’s attempt to effect a run out, the batter should, on appeal, be given out, obstructing the field. It shall not be relevant whether a run out would have occurred or not."

#IPL2024

Think the change in direction was significant enough, even if it wasn't perhaps intentional, for Ravindra Jadeja to be given out obstructing the field.

Here's the relevant clause as well. ??https://t.co/EmaQbBcybM pic.twitter.com/T1j0DSPOJW

— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) May 12, 2024

IMPACT SUB: Sameer Rizvi comes in to replace Mitchell. Is there a twist here. 

Ravindra Jadeja becomes the third batter to be out obstructing the field in the IPL.

The other two instances:

Yusuf Pathan (KKR v PWI), 2013
Amit Mishra (DC v SRH), 2019#IPL2024 #CSKvRR

— Lalith Kalidas (@lal__kal) May 12, 2024

OBSTRUCTION OF FIELD! Jadeja is sent back by Gaikwad, but he is halfway down the pitch. But as Samson winds up for the direct hit, Jadeja has a look and his arc of turning is too big and in the way of the throw. RR appealed and the third umpire agrees! Jadeja is not pleased. 

A debate on commentary over whether that was a dropped catch by Buttler or five-runs saved. Would be very harsh to term that a drop, the ball was well behind his head when he pulled it back. 

WHAT A SAVE! Jos Buttler with superb awareness at long on, as Jadeja sends one soaring high into the Chepauk sky. He's not able to hold onto the catch but throws the ball back in. Gaikwad had hit a good four past point at the start of that Chahal over. The leggie finishes with 1/22 in his four overs. 

Jadeja joins Ruturaj in the middle. The CSK captain is on 25 off 29, perhaps now is the time to move through the gears. Chahal will bowl his fourth. 

ASH HITS BACK: But that is the end of a very useful cameo from Dube as he hit Ashwin for a six, and then two fours through the offside. Ashwin induces the false shot though and the catch is taken at long on. That over has brought the required back down below 6 though, so perhaps Dube's impact was worth it? 

Dube c Parag b Ashwin 18 (11 balls) 

SHOTTTTTT! What a hit from Dube, Ashwin to Dube now, and the left-hander smacks one well into the stands over long on. A boundary after 39 balls. 

Dube doesn't quite go after the match-up against Chahal early. Interesting from Samson to bring the leggie on, perhaps he was throwing up a bait there. Dube didn't take it, but the result is a tidy over, just five singles 

CSK have hit some speedbreaks, more than 5 pvers since the last boundary. Shivam Dube has been off colour recent times, can he get going? Feels like this run-chase needs a reset before it gets out of hand for CSK. Chahal comes in. 

BURGER STRIKES: Well, well. The dry spell has resulted in a wicket and RR are getting back into this. Burger has Moeen slicing one to deep point. 

Moeen c Avesh b Burger 10 (13 balls)

Nandre Burger has come back for a 2nd over, 10 off his first. 

No risks being taken here by CSK. A par over though, as Moeen and Ruturaj rotate strike for 7 in that Chahal over. 

Chahal has a change of ends, comes back after a 1-run over to start his spell. Will CSK look to get ahead of the rate again? Big overs have not been easy to come by today, so 8+ would be tricky territory backend. 

Ashwin comes into bowl with Moeen in the middle. But the wily customer he is, doesn't give any room to Moeen to work with. Fine over, just 3 off it, the required rate is just starting to creep up ever so slightly. 

Risk-free 7-run over for Ruturaj and Moeen as Avesh keeps things tight. What RR need though is a couple of wickets. 

Avesh Khan in the middle. Moeen's form was good in Ahmedabad, he'd also perhaps look to go after the bowlers here. Rutu would continue to drop anchor, CSK have to ensure they don't let the rate creep up. 

Good over from Chahal, Gaikwad gave him plenty of respect at the start and Mitchell pays the price later on. Moeen comes in. 

YUZI STRIKES: And there is the 2nd breakthrough. Chahal darts one in that straightens and that seems plumb. Given out, review doesn't save Mitchell. Three reds, review lost. (Looks like Chahal is having some issues with his back though, something to keep an eye on). 

Mitchell lbw b Chahal 22 (13 balls)

CSK need less than run-a-ball now. Chahal into the attack, he should enjoy bowling on this surface even though he has been off the boil in recent matches. 

Now Rutu gets into the attack! Burger comes on to bowl and a short ball is smacked over midwicket for a six. Another good over for CSK and time for a timeout as RR weight their options. One-way traffic in Chennai at the moment. 

Super powerplay for CSK then. Rachin went hard early, Mitchell has continued to look for boundaries. Two sweep shots for fours in Ashwin's over, one lofted and one along the ground. 

Already a solid powerplay, can CSK maximise it? Ashwin will bowl his second. 

Mitchell goes after Sandeep, two fours in that over down the legside. 

This is the sort of run-chase where you'd imagine Ruturaj will try to bat through the innings and let others around him step on the gas. NRR is not exactly a concern for CSK but they'd not want to take this too deep... or at least we think so. 

One Kiwi replaces another as Mitchell walks in. A window for RR to try and test the struggling CSK batting lineup. 

ASHWIN STRIKES: It's already a good knock in the chase by Rachin but it is shortlived. The wily old Ashwin has Rachin playing across the line to a full ball, it is skied and Ashwin takes the catch too. 

Rachin c & b Ashwin 27 (18 balls)

Time for the local boy. Ashwin's success will help RR here, can he make some inroads early on? 

After a great start to the season, Rachin had gone off the boil. But he is playing a little gem here to push CSK ahead of the required rate. Another wristy flick for four, followed by an upper cut for six in Boult's over. Two terrific shots. 

Oh, the wrists on Rachin! His Indian roots become evident every time he uses those wrists. A stunning flick over midwicket for six off Sandeep Sharma. And nearly a runout there as Gaikwad is struggling to get back, but the throw is wide, that's a miss by RR and Buttler. 

Rachin down the track and misses a slog, and Boult has a little smile on his face directed at his fellow Kiwi. Rachin with a nice shot through cover last ball for a couple. 

Right then Trent Boult to start off. Rachin Ravindra on strike, Ruturaj Gaikwad has walked out to open with him as he had mentioned at the toss. 

IMPACT SUB: RR do opt for the extra pace option. Nandre Burger comes in for Dhruv Jurel. 

Target for CSK is 142 and they'd have taken that at the start of play. Now over to the batters, who have struggled. Ashwin knows this pitch better than anyone and he will hold the key. RR's Impact Sub will be interesting. Will they go for Keshav or Burger? 

Simarjeet Singh: Was difficult to bowl in the heat, we knew it was going to be hard but effort was important. The pitch looked the ball was stopping, so I tried to keep the ball more towards me than the batter. Don't know the other team's bowling plans, we need to bat well. Good total if we bat well. 

5 wickets between Simarjeet Singh and Tushar Deshpande. Parag remains unbeaten on 47 off 35 balls. 

What a shot from Parag! Short outside the offstump, angled across him, and swats this over long off. Looks down on the ground wondering why he hasn't managed to do this more often perhaps. That dropped catch did affect CSK a bit but this is a total they would have taken with both hands before the match started. 

Two in two: Pace on for Jurel, pace off for Shubham. Two in two balls for Tushar to start the last over. And out walks homeboy Ashwin to loud cheers (if indeed for him, and not just for Tushar being on a hattrick, that's a nice touch). 

Dubey c Dube b Deshpande 0 (1balls)

JUREL FALLS: Deshpande strikes from around the wicket, Jurel goes for a big shot off a length ball but can only sky it to the fielder at cover. A nice hand from him though. 

Jurel c Thakur b Deshpande 28 (18 balls)

What a fabulous 19th over from Shardul Thakur again! He was terrific at the death against GT too, concedes just 7 runs here. And no boundaries. CSK should be quite pleased how things have gone so far... but we have seen this year how one big last over can sometime change things. 

Decent last few overs for RR, this time Jurel with another lovely shot for six off Deshpande. Jurel has injected some momentum. That was a bad ball from Deshpande but also again damage limited at this stage, 

A 10-run over with a four each for Parag and Jurel but what a spell from Simarjeet , who finishes with 3/26 in his four overs. 

Six! Not been many of those, but Jurel with a sweetly hit pickup shot for six over square leg. Despite the six though, just 9 off that over. Parag trying to power through but still not much in the way of timing. 

Another terrific over from Simarjeet who has been so hard to put away. He has used the change of pace well on a slow pitch but even the pacy bouncers have been well executed. 

pic.twitter.com/cc5NC7VjmH

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 12, 2024

SAMSON FALLS! Simarjeet Singh has his third, what a day for him this is turning out to be. Lets out a huge roar as Samson manages to find the fielder at long off. Pacy delivery, too close to Samson to find the elevation. 

Samson c Gaikwad b Simarjeet 15 (19 balls) 

Jadeja finishes with a 10-run over as Parag nails a slog sweep for six over midwicket. But still damage is limited. Fine afternoon for the CSK allrounder with the ball. Samson finds the fielder twice with the attempted late cut, fielder placed well for a slow wicket. Dhoni and his angles. 

Now Jadeja to bowl out, no wickets yet but has barely given any breathing space to the batters. 

Theekshana, after that disappointing fielding effort, come back to finish his spell with a really good over. Two fabulous yorker length deliveries to Parag just outside the offstump to finish off with two dot balls. The boundaries have dried up big time for RR. 

That "if" there... lol. ? pic.twitter.com/dTBJexkmyR

— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) May 12, 2024