Rajasthan Royals clinched their first victory of IPL 2025 on Sunday, defeating Chennai Super Kings(CSK) by six runs.
A Heartfelt Reunion After a Fierce Battle
They were rivals in Guwahati on Sunday, but as the match ended, the packed Barsapara Stadium witnessed a legendary reunion. MS Dhoni checked on an injured Rahul Dravid, who had made his way onto the field on crutches. Rajasthan Royals secured their first win of IPL 2025, defeating Chennai Super Kings by six runs.
After a tense clash, where Dhoni couldn’t take his team over the line despite walking in early at No. 7—contrary to the previous game’s criticized decision—he made his way toward Dravid. The former India captain had injured his leg playing cricket in Bengaluru before the tournament.
Hope the few fellow RR fans stop the dumb agenda against legend of the game Rahul Dravid. 🤫 pic.twitter.com/srngE7b4Xs
— Praneesh (@praneeshroyce) March 30, 2025
The two shared a brief conversation before Dhoni encouraged Chennai’s young players to greet Dravid. The touching moment quickly went viral, capturing the hearts of cricket fans everywhere.
Riyan Parag secures first win as Rajasthan Royals captain
After a shaky start to the season under stand-in skipper Riyan Parag, Rajasthan Royals finally secured their first win, edging past Chennai Super Kings in a last-over thriller in Guwahati. Despite posting 182/9, Parag believed his team fell short with the bat but compensated with a stellar bowling and fielding performance.
With 45 runs needed off the last three overs and Dhoni alongside Ravindra Jadeja at the crease, Rajasthan faced a tense finish. However, former CSK bowler Maheesh Theekshana turned the game in their favor, conceding just six runs in a crucial over. Dhoni responded with a six and a four in the penultimate over, but Sandeep Sharma sealed the win by dismissing him in the final over.
“Took a lot of time, just two games, but felt really long. We still think we were 20 short. We lost a couple of wickets quickly (in the middle overs). But we bowled really well. We have had two tough games, but the chat was to forget those games, come with a fresh mindset, and have a good game collectively,” Parag said in the post-match presentation.