NEW DELHI: MS Dhoni on strike. 20 runs wanted off the final over. The load of expectations from hundreds of roaring CSK followers. A nightmare situation for any bowler, however Rajasthan Royals’ medium-pacer Sandeep Sharma rose to the event with nerves of metal.
Defending a complete towards the final word last-over finisher is not any small process, and the strain was palpable as Sandeep was handed the ball for the ultimate over. He began with a large, including to the drama, however what adopted surprised the Guwahati crowd into silence.

On the subsequent supply, Sandeep bowled a low full toss, and Dhoni, trying to muscle it throughout the leg aspect, made stable contact. However stationed at deep mid-wicket was Shimron Hetmyer, who sprinted to his left and pulled off a surprising low catch. The stadium, which had erupted moments earlier, fell into an eerie hush as Dhoni stood immobile, processing his dismissal.

Sandeep, overwhelmed by the second, folded his palms and seemed up, thanking the almighty. His teammates rushed in to have a good time, figuring out that they had sealed a vital victory. Rajasthan Royals had conquered the Dhoni issue, clinching the match by six runs.
CSK followers had hoped for a classic Dhoni-Jadeja rescue act with 45 wanted off the final three overs.
Dhoni, underneath scrutiny for batting at No. 9 within the earlier match, promoted himself to No. 7 this time however struggled to seek out the boundary. Within the 18th over, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana, he confronted three deliveries and will solely handle three runs, additional rising the strain.

The spark lastly got here within the penultimate over when Dhoni hammered Tushar Deshpande for a boundary off the primary ball and adopted it up with an enormous six. The gang discovered its voice once more as CSK wanted 20 off the final six balls.
With Dhoni in full move, many believed the script was set for an additional magical end. However Sandeep Sharma had different plans. Protecting his composure, he executed his deliveries to perfection, beginning with Dhoni’s dismissal and making certain CSK by no means recovered from the setback.

Earlier within the match, Rajasthan Royals posted 182/9, led by Riyan Parag’s 37 and Nitish Rana’s explosive 81. CSK, regardless of Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 63, fell simply brief, due to Sandeep’s brilliance on the dying.
With this thrilling victory, Rajasthan Royals gained essential momentum and can now shift their focus to their subsequent conflict towards Punjab Kings on Saturday.