Jos Buttler’s half-century helped the Rajasthan Royals beat the Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets.

CSK’s mediocre total of 126 was in large part due to the track’s sponginess. The ball never came on to the bat in a predictable way, making aggressive stroke play extremely difficult.

Faf du Plessis failed with the bat, and while there were important contributions from Sam Curran (22), MS Dhoni (28) and a late charge from Ravindra Jajeda (35*), nobody could occupy the crease long enough to master the challenging track.

Buttler adapted best, scoring his 70* off 48 deliveries. Smith was uncharacteristically subdued, playing a supporting role with his 26* off 34.

The pair walked to the wicket with the Royals in trouble at 28-3, but showed all their class and experience to guide their team to an important victory off the back of a 98-run partnership.