JAIPUR, India, CMC – Barbadian speedster Jofra Archer produced a two-wicket haul to help Rajasthan Royals stun Dwayne Bravo’s high-flying Chennai Super Kings by four wickets with a ball to spare, in the Indian Premier League here yesterday.
Opting to bat first at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, CSK chalked up a decent 176 for four off their 20 overs, with Suresh Raina top-scoring with 52, Australian Shane Watson getting 39 and captain MS Dhoni, 33 not out. Archer struck as early as the third over, when he bowled Ambati Rayudu for 12, as the batsman dragged on a wide ball.
Raina then put on 86 for the second wicket with Watson who struck a brace of fours and sixes before becoming Archer’s second wicket, caught behind attempting to pull a quick in-swinging delivery.
Dhoni and Englishman Sam Billings (27) added 55 for the fourth wicket to bolster the innings, as the right-arm Archer finished with two for 42 from his four overs.
The Sussex paceman now has 11 wickets from six matches.
In reply, wicketkeeper Jos Buttler struck an unbeaten 95 at the top of the order to guide Royals over the line. He put on 48 for the first wicket with fellow England star Ben Stokes (11) and a further 46 with Sanju Samson (21) for the third wicket.
Royals required 12 from the final over sent down by West Indies medium pacer Dwayne Bravo, and the equation remained close when only four runs came from the first three deliveries.
But with eight runs needed from the last three balls, Buttler smashed Bravo’s fourth delivery over mid-wicket for six to put the result to rest.
Bravo finished with one for 31 from three overs and five balls.
The victory was the Royals’ fifth of the season and it left them sixth on 10 points while CSK remained second on 14 points.