CSK romps home by 8 runs for 3rd sraight win in tight finish over Raj Royals

Chennai, Mar 31 : Reigning champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) got off to a prosaic start, exploded in the final stretch, thanks to skipper M S Dhoni’s blitzkrieg, and defended a target, before
huffing and puffing to score its third straight win in the IPL T-20 game against Rajasthan Royals here tonight.
Asked to bat first on a sluggish, yet another slow wicket, that came under scanner, the home team recovered from a three wicket early loss, and posted a challenging 175 for five.
In reply, Royals, too suffered an early collapse, recovered midway only to lose the plot in the end by eight runs in the end and emerged at the top of the table.
Dhoni led from the front with 75 runs in 46 balls, four fours and four sixers, including three in the final over, as the CSK had a more to defend, but proved quite challenging at its home conditions for its third straight win.
Rajasthan Royals, like CSK lost three wickets early, showed some promise of recovery through Steve Smith, Rahul Tripathy and Ben Stokes but faltered at the end, unable to cope up with the mounting asking rate.
The visitors needed 44 from three overs, when Ben Stokes raised hopes with two sixers and a four in the 18th over of D Bravo as the equation came down to 25 of two overs and 12 of the last over after his exploits came close to the finishing line, only to be held at cover of Bravo with five balls remaining, that sealed the hopes of Royals.
Royals finished at 167 for eight despite a fighting stuff by the lower order, including Stokes and Joe Archer, who hit two sixers and a four in a 11-ball 24 with Stokes.
Once again Bravo, despite being hit in the 18th over, bowled a tight line in the last over to help CSK maintain its clean slate.  (UNI)