Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched a nail-biting 27-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, securing their place in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs. The game culminated in a thrilling final over with CSK needing 17 runs to confirm their playoff berth. All eyes were on Yash Dayal as he delivered a full toss on the first ball. MS Dhoni responded with a powerful hit over fine-leg for a massive 110-meter six, electrifying the crowd. However, Dhoni’s attempt on the next ball to clear the boundary over square-leg was thwarted as he only managed a top-edge, resulting in an easy catch for the fielder in the deep.
Shardul Thakur, who faced the next ball, missed it as it was a slower, short delivery. Thakur then got a lucky edge that trickled to the short third man, giving Ravindra Jadeja the task of scoring 10 runs off the remaining two balls. Yash Dayal kept his composure, delivering two effective slower balls that Jadeja and CSK couldn’t dispatch for runs, thus sealing RCB’s advance to the playoffs. For a day when tournament fates hung in balance, the match between these two arch-rivals lived up to its billing.
The contest began with CSK winning the toss and opting to field first. This decision meant that CSK had to restrict RCB’s score and win the match within 18 runs to move forward. The pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium has historically been a high-scoring venue, and this game was no exception, although it witnessed a significant twist midway.
At the outset, RCB got off to a flying start, thanks to skipper Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. The standout shot of this opening assault was a flick by Kohli off Tushar Deshpande, sending the ball flying over mid-wicket for a six. After the first three overs, RCB had raced to 31 for the loss of three wickets when sudden rain interrupted play. The rain delay was brief and did not affect the number of overs in the match.
Post the restart, batting conditions turned tricky as CSK’s spinners capitalized on the gripping and turning surface. In the two overs immediately following the resumption, RCB could manage only six runs as the spinners beat the bat multiple times. Du Plessis finally broke the shackles by hammering one down the ground off Mahesh Theekshana. Kohli, finding his stride, smashed Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner for sixes. However, he was dismissed for 54 when Rajat Patidar drove a ball that ricocheted off Santner’s hand on the follow-through, hitting the stumps at the non-striker’s end.
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With 113 for three in 13 overs, RCB needed a significant push in the final overs. Rajat Patidar and Cameron Green provided just that, putting up a dazzling display with a 71-run partnership off just 28 balls. Their blitzkrieg saw the scoring rate skyrocket, with only one of the last seven overs yielding fewer than 13 runs. Patidar scored 41 off 23 balls, while Green remained unbeaten on 38 from 17 balls. Contributions of 14 off six balls from Dinesh Karthik and 16 off five balls from Glenn Maxwell helped RCB cross the 200-run mark, ending their innings at 218. This set a daunting target of 201 for CSK to qualify.
CSK’s chase began dramatically as Ruturaj Gaikwad was caught at short fine-leg off the very first ball bowled by Glenn Maxwell. The early overs were tight, making run-scoring difficult. The pressure increased when Yash Dayal got Mitchell to edge a delivery to mid-off in the third over, leaving CSK struggling at 19 for two.
Rachin Ravindra and Ajinkya Rahane attempted to stabilize the innings. Delivering a mixture of caution and aggression, they added 66 runs off 41 balls. This partnership kept the required run-rate manageable. At 85 for two in nine overs, Rahane mistimed a shot off Lockie Ferguson and was caught, leaving CSK vulnerable once more.
Following Rahane’s departure, RCB capitalized, halting boundary hits and piling the pressure on CSK. Ravindra’s half-century in the 12th over gave a brief respite, but the drama escalated further when Shivam Dube was dropped by Mohammad Siraj only to run out Ravindra shortly after. The subsequent dismissal of Dube and Santner intensified CSK’s plight.
With 71 runs needed off the last five overs, MS Dhoni joined Jadeja. Despite Jadeja’s sixes and boundaries, the daunting target remained. Key overs from Ferguson and Dayal, including a no-ball and consecutive crucial deliveries, kept the game pulsating. Dayal’s composed final over ensured RCB’s move to the playoffs, ending CSK’s challenging chase just short, as the game concluded with a memorable win for Bengaluru.