In a sensational last over finish, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 27 runs to register a sixth straight victory and qualify for the Playoffs of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Chasing 219 runs for a win, CSK found themselves in early trouble, losing skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (0 off 1 ball) and Daryl Mitchell (4 runs from 6 balls). Rachin Ravindra and Ajinkya Rahane then began the rebuild by rotating strike and striking the timely boundary in-between to keep CSK in the chase but just when things were looking up for the five-time champions, Lockie Ferguson sent Rahane back for a 22-ball 33 and leave CSK needing 114 runs in the last 10 overs to qualify.
The onus was now on Ravindra and impact sub Shivam Dube to take the innings deep and the latter got a life on 4 when he was dropped by Mohammed Siraj. But when Dube sold Ravindra a dummy (61 runs off 37 balls) and fell for 7, four balls later, CSK were staring down the barrel to even qualify for the Playoffs.
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That task became a notch harder when du Plessis pulled off a screamer to dismiss Mitchell Santner for 3 and it meant that for CSK to sneak in, it needed a finishing kick from Jadeja and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
219 was long forgotten, as the target, when the equation came down to 50 runs in 18 balls to qualify for CSK. That target came down to 16 from last over with CSK’s number 7 and 8 in the middle and when the former hit him for a six in the first ball, the result looked inevitable.
But Dayal redeemed himself by removing Dhoni off the following ball and then conceding one run off his last four balls to take RCB home and into the Playoffs.
Earlier, a 39-ball 54 from skipper Faf du Plessis, fourties from Virat Kohli (47 runs from 29 balls) and Rajat Patidar (41 runs from 23 balls) and a 23-ball unbeaten 38 by Cameron Green helped RCB post 218 for 5 in their 20 overs.
The opening duo of du Plessis and Kohli put on 31 runs in three overs, the latter looking imperious, pulling Tushar Deshpande for a six that hit the roof the venue.
But then, as was predicted the whole day, the heavens opened up and caused a 41-minute delay in proceedings. When play did resume, the CSK spinners found themselves in the game as the pitch started to take substantial spin which made it difficult for the opening duo to keep up with the momentum before the break.
Kohli brought out the sweep shot and even cleared the fence more than once. However, Mitchell Santner got the better of him on on 47 and he was caught at long on by Daryl Mitchell and at the halfway mark, on a pitch taking appreciable turn, RCB were 78 for 1.
The fall of Kohli’s wicket led to du Plessis taking over and with the in-form Rajat Patidar, laid the foundation for a tall score even as CSK maintained the diet of spin with the trio of Maheesh Theekshana, Ravindra Jadeja and Santner shuffling the overs between them.
The partnership was broken by Santner, after Patidar drilled a ball, straight as an arrow, which hit the spinner’s right hand and after multiple replays, the third umpire adjudged du Plessis run out for 54.
At the 15-over mark, RCB found themselves 138 for 2 and in need of a final flourish. Gaikwad dropped Green on 18 in the 16th over and the Australian, along with Patidar, put on 71 runs in 28 balls, before the latter fell for a 23-ball 41.
Quick cameos from Dinesh Karthik (14 runs from 5 balls) and Glenn Maxwell (16 runs from 4 balls) offered some late impetus and helped RCB reach a giant score in a must-win clash.
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