Rajasthan Royals secured their first victory in IPL 2025, defeating Chennai Super Kings by six runs in Guwahati on Sunday (March 30). After the match, former India captain MS Dhoni shared a heartfelt moment with Rajasthan coach Rahul Dravid, who despite being in a wheelchair due to a recent leg injury, came onto the field for the customary handshakes.
Dravid, who has been using an electric wheelchair and crutches during team preparations and matches, sustained the injury while playing cricket in Bengaluru before IPL 2025.
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“Recovering well. I got some great support. Just, unfortunately, at my age, playing cricket matches wasn’t a great idea I think. But it’s ok. It happens, so it’s fine,” Dravid explained before the match.
Rahul Dravid inspects the pitch ahead of RR vs CSK in IPL 2025.
The match saw Nitish Rana deliver an outstanding performance, scoring 81 runs off 36 balls after being promoted to number 3. His innings included 10 fours and five sixes, helping Rajasthan post 182/9.
Wanindu Hasaranga contributed significantly with a four-wicket haul for Rajasthan Royals.
Chennai Super Kings, who haven’t successfully chased a target exceeding 180 since 2019, fell short again. They managed 176/6 in their allotted overs.
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad led the Chennai chase with 63 runs, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their second consecutive defeat.
MS Dhoni, known for his finishing abilities, couldn’t overcome the bowling of Maheesh Theekshana and Sandeep Sharma in the final overs.
The post-match interaction between Dhoni and Dravid was particularly noteworthy as Dhoni encouraged CSK’s younger players to greet the Rajasthan coach.
Despite the loss, Chennai Super Kings maintained their position above Rajasthan in the points table, holding the seventh spot while Rajasthan remained in ninth place.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
