Bengaluru : Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) edged out a fighting Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 2 runs in a scintillating encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, tightening their grip on a playoff berth. The win takes Bangalore to 16 points from 11 games. Batting first, RCB scored a formidable 213/5 paced by pivotal innings from Jacob Bethell and Virat Kohli, and sealed by a late carnage from Romario Shepherd, setting up a challenging score. In reply, young gun Ayush Mhatre’s blistering 94 and Ravindra Jadeja’s composed 77 brought CSK close, but RCB’s bowlers held firm in the final over to snuff out the chase.
Asked to bat first, RCB’s innings got off to a blistering start. Young English all-rounder Jacob Bethell tormented the CSK attack with 55 off 33 balls, combining with Virat Kohli, who continued his purple patch by matching Bethell with 62 from 33 deliveries to put on a 97-run opening stand. Their onslaught was halted in the 12th after Matheesha Pathirana got rid of Virat Kohli, but RCB had already reached 121/2.
After Bethell’s and Kohli’s wickets, CSK fought back with three timely wickets, slowing RCB down, who found themselves at 157/5 after the 18th over. But just as the momentum seemed to shift, RCB unleashed a late assault. Romario Shepherd smashed a blistering 53 not out of only 14 balls at a strike rate of 378.57 to shift the equation in their favour as they went past the 200 mark, scoring 213/5 at the end of the innings.
Chasing 214, CSK started aggressively with Shaik Rasheed (14) and Ayush Mhatre (94) raced to 51/0 inside 4.3 overs before Krunal Pandya’s yorker saw Rasheed edge to shepherd ending the opening stand. Chennai soon lost a 2nd the very next over, but an unfazed Mhatre, along with Jadeja, stitched a ritzy partnership adding 114 runs for the third wicket.
Following Mhatre’s dismissal, Jadeja took up the mantle, racing to his 2nd fifty this season and finishing unbeaten on 77. Needing 15 from the final over, CSK turned to MS Dhoni to finish the job alongside Jadeja, but Yash Dayal held his nerve, first getting rid of MS before and then closing out with three tight deliveries, leaving CSK shy of the target by just 2 runs.
Rajat Patidar and co. who have put up an all-round show this season have inched closer to the playoffs, currently occupying the top spot in the points table, while for CSK, this result emphasizes their struggle this season. With just two wins from 11 games, the team finds itself at the bottom of the points table and are already out of contention.
Brief Scorecard :
1st Innings :
RCB : 213-5 (20)
Virat Kohli : 62 (33)
CSK :
Matheesha Pathirana : 4-36-3
2nd Innings :
CSK : 211-5 (20)
Ayush Mhatre : 94 (48)
RCB :
Lungi Ngidi : 4-30-3
Result : RCB won by 2 Runs.
