March 31, 2025: Ruturaj Gaekwad led Chennai Super Kings suffered a disappointing defeat in the 'Friday Night Blockbuster' against Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore. In that match, Dhoni and the Chennai team management were criticized for sending him to bat at number nine.

Yesterday, Dhoni returned to his usual position at number seven. However, his 16 runs off 11 balls, including a four and a six, did not make much difference. Chennai also failed on 'Super Sunday'. Despite showing signs of a comeback, they ultimately lost to Rajasthan Royals by 6 runs.

Rajasthan Royals Edge Past Chennai Super Kings in a Thriller

Batting first after losing the toss in Guwahati, Rajasthan Royals posted 182 for 9. In response, Chennai Super Kings managed 176 for 6, falling short by 6 runs.

Hasaranga Shines with the Ball, Nitish Wins Man of the Match

Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga was Rajasthan’s bowling hero, taking 4 wickets for 35 runs. However, Nitish Rana stole the show with a blistering 81 off 36 balls and was awarded the Man of the Match.

Rajasthan Registers First Win, Chennai Suffers Second Defeat

This was Rajasthan's first victory in IPL 2025, while Chennai suffered their second consecutive loss. With this win, Rajasthan climbed to ninth place, pushing Mumbai Indians to the bottom of the table. Chennai remains in seventh place.

Brief Scores

Rajasthan Royals: 182/9 in 20 overs

(Nitish 81, Parag 37, Samson 20, Hetmyer 19; Noor 2/28, Pathirana 2/28, Khaleel 2/38, Jadeja 1/10).

Chennai Super Kings: 176/6 in 20 overs

(Ruturaj 63, Jadeja 32*, Tripathi 23, Dubey 18, Dhoni 16; Hasaranga 4/35, Archer 1/13, Sandeep 1/42).

Result: Rajasthan Royals won by 6 runs.

Man of the Match: Nitish Rana.