May 18, 2024

Who Win Today IPL Match Between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) secured their spot in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs with a thrilling 27-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The match came down to a dramatic final over, with CSK needing 17 runs to qualify. Yash Dayal bowled the first delivery as a full toss, and MS Dhoni responded with a powerful swing, sending the ball flying for a massive 110-meter six over fine leg. The second delivery, a slower ball, saw Dhoni attempt to clear square leg, but he only managed to lift the ball, giving the deep fielder an easy catch.

Shardul Thakur then missed a slow, short delivery, before edging the next ball for a single to short third man. This left Ravindra Jadeja with the task of scoring 10 runs from the last two balls to replicate his heroics from the 2023 final. However, Dayal kept his composure and bowled two excellent slower deliveries, denying CSK and Jadeja, and sealing RCB’s qualification for the playoffs. It was a fitting conclusion to a gripping match between these two fierce rivals, with both teams’ futures on the line.

In a virtual knockout clash, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won the toss and opted to bowl first, setting the stage for RCB to post a score that would require them to win by 18 runs. The pitch at Chinnaswamy Stadium, known for favoring high scores, lived up to its reputation, although there was a brief period during RCB’s innings when reaching 200 seemed uncertain.

RCB’s openers, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, began aggressively, taking the attack to the bowlers early on. A standout moment came when Kohli flicked a delivery from Tushar Deshpande over mid-wicket for a six, displaying his classic strokeplay. However, by the end of the third over, RCB found themselves at 31 for 3, and then the heavens opened up. A brief rain delay interrupted the match, but fortunately, it was a passing shower, and play resumed without any overs being lost.

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RCB’s Resilient Batting: Overcoming Spin Pressure to Set a Challenging Total

The conditions became more challenging for batting after the resumption, as CSK introduced their spinners, and the ball began to show signs of grip and turn. In the two overs following the break, RCB managed just six runs, with the ball beating the batters on several occasions. Du Plessis broke the shackles in the final over of the powerplay, striking Mahesh Theekshana down the ground for a boundary. Kohli also found his rhythm, as Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner kept the spin pressure on after the powerplay. Kohli sent a Jadeja delivery over mid-wicket for a six in the ninth over, and when Santner bowled the 10th, Kohli dispatched another six to the same region. However, the very next ball saw him caught at long-on by Daryl Mitchell, who showed good awareness to keep the ball in play.

Du Plessis then took charge, hitting two sixes and a four off Jadeja to reach his half-century. Rajat Patidar, one of RCB’s key in-form batters, also got going, smashing a six off Theekshana. But Du Plessis fell for 54 when a shot from Patidar deflected off Santner’s hand in his follow-through and hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end. At 113 for 3 in the 13th over, RCB needed to accelerate in the slog overs.

The crucial partnership that followed pushed RCB to a total beyond 200. Patidar and Cameron Green added 71 runs in just 28 balls, showcasing aggressive batting. In the last seven overs, no over went for less than 13 runs, a testament to the partnership’s impact. Patidar struck 41 off 23 balls, while Green remained unbeaten on 38 from 17 balls. Short cameos from Dinesh Karthik (14 off six balls) and Glenn Maxwell (16 off five balls) propelled RCB to 218, setting CSK a target of 201 to qualify.

CSK’s Dramatic Chase: Early Wickets, Key Partnerships, and a Thrilling Finish

CSK’s chase began with drama when Ruturaj Gaikwad edged the first ball to short fine-leg, where Yash Dayal took the catch. Glenn Maxwell was brought in to bowl the opening over, given the conditions that had troubled the batters during RCB’s innings. The early overs were challenging for CSK, and they lost their second wicket in the third over when Dayal had Mitchell caught at mid-off. At 19 for 2, CSK found themselves in early trouble.

Rachin Ravindra and Ajinkya Rahane then took up the task of rebuilding CSK’s innings. Their partnership mixed caution and aggression, adding 66 runs off 41 balls, with both batters finding boundaries regularly to keep the required rate under control. The partnership progressed steadily, with both sharing the responsibility of scoring. By the ninth over, Chennai Super Kings were 85 for 2 when Lockie Ferguson was introduced. Off his first delivery, Rahane hit one high into the air and was caught by du Plessis for 33.

This gave RCB an opportunity to put pressure on CSK, and they responded by restricting the boundaries in the following overs. The pressure briefly eased in the 12th over when Ravindra hit a four and two sixes to bring up his half-century. However, the drama intensified as the innings continued. In the 13th over, Shivam Dube was dropped by Mohammad Siraj at long-on, but RCB soon had their reward when Ravindra was run out for 61 after a mix-up with Dube. Dube’s struggles ended in the next over when he was caught at long-on off Ferguson’s bowling.

As the pressure mounted, Mitchell Santner tried to clear mid-off in the 15th over but was superbly caught by du Plessis, diving full stretch to take a stunning one-handed catch. With CSK needing 71 off the final five overs, MS Dhoni walked in to join Jadeja. After the time-out, CSK needed 63 from the last four overs. Jadeja quickly signaled his intent by smashing the first ball for a six down the ground. He took charge in the next few overs, guiding CSK with a 13-run over followed by a 15-run over, including a six and a four off Siraj, to keep them in the hunt.

When Ferguson came on to bowl the penultimate over, CSK required 35 runs. He started with a beamer, but Jadeja and Dhoni responded well, each hitting a four. Jadeja then finished the over with a six over mid-wicket on the last ball, setting up a thrilling finish.