GUWAHATI - West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer managed to only contribute 19 runs from 16 balls, but that helped his Rajasthan Royals side secure their first win in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), following a six-run win over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in India on Sunday.
The Royals, batting first, had Nitish Rana to thank, as it was his 81 from 36 balls which helped them to a respectable total of 182 for nine in their allotted 20 overs.
After losing opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first over for 4, Rana joined Sanju Samson at the crease, and the pair added 82 runs for the second wicket.
Samson soon fell for 20, but Rana continued to push along the scoring hitting 10 fours and 5 sixes in his swashbuckling knock. Captain Riyan Parag chipped in with a valuable 37 from 28 balls with two fours and two sixes.
Hetmyer, batting at number seven, managed to hit a four and six, this after he was put down off the first ball he had faced. The Guyanese left-hander was the last wicket to fall in the final over.
With the pitch quickening up in the second innings, England pacer Jofra Archer made sure CSK had a bad start, as he removed opener Rachin Ravindra for a duck without a run on the board.
Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga then came into the act, twerling his magic to leave the CSK batters in tatters. After picking up a wicket with his first ball, Hasaranga ended up with four wickets for 35 runs to leave the run chase in a spot of bother.
CSK needed 39 runs off the last two overs, which in the end proved too much, despite a valiant 63 from 44 balls from captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and an unbeaten 32 from 22 balls from Ravindra Jadeja.
CMC
