Sandeep Sharma Keeps Calm Despite MS Dhoni Heroics As Rajasthan Royals Win Thriller By 3 Runs

Mahendra Singh Dhoni gave a glimpse of the good old days of thrilling finishes but unheralded Rajasthan Royals seamer Sandeep Sharma nailed a couple of perfect block-hole deliveries to earn a three-run victory for Rajasthan Royals over Chennai Super Kings in a close IPL encounter, at Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday. Chasing a target of 176, Dhoni (32 off 17 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja (25 off 15 balls), veterans of many such tantalising finishes were on course as 21 was needed off the last over.

CSK's final score was 172 for 6 as Dhoni didn't end his 200th game for CSK in a manner he would have liked in his spiritual home with 30,000 plus spectators rooting for him.

Punjab seamer Sandeep, who played a couple of games for India eight years back, seemed to lose his nerve as he bowled a couple of wides and then Dhoni whipped him over square leg and mid-wicket for a couple of sixes.

Needing 6 off last two deliveries, the medium pacer got a wide yorker to Jadeja and then a perfect block-hole ball to Dhoni as it fetched a couple of singles.

However Devon Conway had a scratchy approach on tacky pitch as his 50 off 38 balls didn't provide the momentum with Ravichandran Ashwin (2/25 in 4 overs) and YUzvendra Chahal (2/27 in 4 overs) bowling exceptionally well.

Earlier, Jos Buttler wasn't exactly devastating in his approach but yet managed the 18th half-century of his IPL career as Rajasthan Royals posted a decent 175 for 8 after being put into bat first.

While Royals were 135 for 4 after 15 overs, the last five overs wasn't as productive as they would have expected with only 40 runs being added and four wickets lost in the process.

Ravindra Jadeja (2/21 in 4 overs) was as usual menacing on a surface that assisted the spinners