WATCH: Relive Sandeep Sharma's perfect yorker to MS Dhoni that prevented CSK's win over RR in IPL 2023

Match 17 of the IPL 2023 edition saw the Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR) hold their nerves to beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by three runs in front of their home crowd, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Wednesday (April 12). In a game that went down to the wire, RR pacer Sandeep Sharma defended five off the last ball, with a perfect yorker to MS Dhoni as CSK fell short by a whisker.

Being asked to bat first, RR rode on Jos Buttler's 52, Devdutt Padikkal's 38, and 30 apiece from R Ashwin and Shimron Hetymer to post 175 for 8. In reply, CSK looked down and out needing 54 off the last 18 deliveries with Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. The duo hit the second gear in style to bring down the equation to 21 off 6 balls.

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Sandeep, playing his first game in IPL 2023, started with two successive wides. He was later taken to the cleaners by Dhoni, who slammed two sixes as the equation read seven off the last three balls. However, Sandeep bowled a couple of toe-crushing yorkers to take his side past the finish line. Here's the speedster's perfect yorker on the final ball of the contest, when CSK needed five for a win:

After the contest, Sandeep said, "I backed my strength of executing the yorkers. I have been bowling the yorkers well in the nets. One side of the ground was bigger so I decided to bowl a yorker on the heels (of MS Dhoni) but it turned out to be low full tosses and both were hit for sixes. After that, I changed my plan and went around the wicket to change the angle and it's great it gave me a different result."

Being restricted to 172 for 6, CSK lost their second game in IPL 2023. Thus, they also failed to give Dhoni a perfect gift as the superstar was playing his 200th game as CSK captain. With this win, RR are at the top of the points table while Chennai remain in the fifth spot.