IPL 2023: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s record-breaking fifty, Yuzvendra Chahal’s guile powers Rajasthan to Royal win, KKR stare at elimination

Synopsis: Chahal dazzles, Jaiswal blitzes and RR fielders sparkle in a facile win
Rajasthan Royals (RR) thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) nine wickets on Thursday evening to directly catapult themselves onto the third position in the points table. The Royals coming off a 3-match losing streak halted the Knight’s flight, who had won their last two games, chasing down a target of 150 in just 13.1 overs. At the game’s start, Rajasthan and Kolkata were identically placed with 10 points from 11 games. With this loss, KKR is now up against it, as the ghost of elimination looms large on their backs.
Chahal dazzles
Yuzvendra Chahal was the joint-highest wicket-taker coming into this game, and after picking up Nitish Rana, he reached the top, moving past Dwayne Bravo, who has 184 wickets. Chahal also became the leading wicket-taker this season with 21 wickets.
Chahal once again made Nitish Rana his bunny in the IPL — In 13 innings, Rana has scored 81 runs against Chahal but has been dismissed six times. Chahal took care of Venkatesh Iyer, Shardul Thakur and Rinku Singh as well; his impressive spell read 4-0-25-4. Chahal got the raves from his captain Sanju Samson: “I think it is time to give him the tag of legend. We are grateful to have him in the franchise. Never have to speak to him, give him the ball and he knows what to do. He bowls at the death as well, very pleasing for me as a captain.”

That feeling of becoming the leading wicket-taker in IPL.
Hear from the man of the moment, @yuzi_chahal. #TATAIPL | #KKRvRR pic.twitter.com/gRfJ05MCYk
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 11, 2023
Iyer struggles, KKR’s dot balls escalates
Sanju Samson got in the offspinner JoeRoot, along with R Ashwin, to the two left-hand batters – Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer after the powerplay. Iyer struggled in particular, eking out 5 from 15 deliveries. In IPL 2023, before this game against RR, KKR batters had played 219 dots, the highest among all teams. Pace off the ball created pressure on the KKR batters. In the first nine overs, just 58 runs came in for the loss of two wickets. When Iyer finally broke the shackles with a pair of sixes, KKR were almost at the halfway mark in their innings.

ICYMI!
That landmark moment when @yuzi_chahal became the leading IPL wicket-taker of all-time.#TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/IhkMNdB6ud
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 11, 2023
Fielders sparkle
“Rajasthan aaj ki kheye nemeche?” ( What have Rajasthan’s fielders eaten tonight ) asked a fan in the clubhouse after Andre Russell was denied a boundary after another stunning piece of fielding from Sandeep Sharma, running across to his right at third man. The Royals were absolutely gun in the field from the start. Shimron Hetmyer took a stunner along the boundary ropes to take down Jason Roy. The other opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz too fell to an acrobatic effort from Sandeep Sharma, who jumped to his right, triggering silence from the crowd and applause from the bowler Trent Boult. RR fielders saved almost 20 runs to restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to a below-par 149/8.

How good was that catch @SHetmyer to dismiss Jason Roy.
Live – https://t.co/jOscjlr121 #TATAIPL #KKRvRR #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/AeaGnIwkss
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 11, 2023
Jaiswal hits a fifty and finishes in a jiffy
Eyebrows will be raised on Chandrakant Pandit the coach and KKR captain Nitish Rana’s decision to bring himself on for the first over. While the rationale behind this move seemed like a left-hander vs off-spinner match-up, it backfired massively as it became the second most expensive first over in IPL hory. Why they opted for this move instead of the spin troika of Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Suyash Sharma is a mystery, but the one to reap the benefit was young Yashasvi Jaiswal. At the end of the game Rana explained the decision to open the bowling: “He [Jaiswal] was batting well right through the tournament, so I thought a part-time spinner could perhaps make him complacent, that was the plan, but he played superbly and those things do happen.”

Fastest FIFTY in the IPL
Yashasvi Jaiswal brings up his half-century in just 13 deliveries 👏👏#TATAIPL #KKRvRR pic.twitter.com/KXGhtAP2iy
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 11, 2023
Nothing worked for Rana, as Jaiswal went over the infield, found the gaps at will, and brought up his blazing fifty in just 13 balls – the fastest in the hory of IPL. This set the tone for the rest of the innings as the Royals were seemingly in a hurry to close the game, bringing up the team fifty in three overs and 100 in just eight overs. They knew not only a win but also NRR was important.

150 runs chased down in just 13.1 overs. @rajasthanroyals have won this in a jiffy with Yashasvi Jaiswal smashing an incredible 98* from just 47 balls.
Scorecard – https://t.co/jOscjlr121 #TATAIPL #KKRvRR #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/2u0TiGPI
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 11, 2023
Despite Jos Buttler’s run out in the Powerplay, Jaiswal joined forces with his skipper Sanju Samson, and together, they stitched a century partnership. Nothing went right for KKR in the field. None of their spinners were able to make a mark on the game. Senior statesman Sunil Narine, who had picked up just one in his last eight-games, not only ended up wicketless but also dropped a catch of Samson in the ninth over. This game was done and dusted in the first over of the chase itself, and it was only fitting that he hit the winning runs and remained unbeaten on 98 off 47 balls, smashing 13 fours and five sixes along the way. Jaiswal would later say, “I think the net run rate was the only thing in our mind, Sanju and I were only talking about finishing the game quickly. And Sanju bhai came and said to keep playing my game, and not think about that run out. I’m just grateful for a tournament like the IPL where youngsters like me can come and perform.”