Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended their Chennai jinx in style, beating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the first time at Chepauk since the inaugural IPL season — by a whopping 50 runs, CSK’s biggest home defeat. The contest was so one-sided that more than half of CSK’s chase revolved around fans eagerly waiting to see if and when MS Dhoni would bat. He eventually came in at No. 9, only for the second time in his IPL career.
The pre-match discussions centered on how RCB would tackle 12 overs of spin, but the conditions flipped the narrative: how would CSK handle eight overs of traditional seam and swing from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood? The answer: not very well. Their combined figures of 7-0-41-4 dismantled CSK’s top order.
Salt, Padikkal Knock CSK Around
Khaleel Ahmed found seam movement and uneven bounce in the first over, but CSK lacked the quick bowlers to exploit such conditions. They planned to open with R Ashwin, and did so, but Phil Salt took him on immediately, smashing a six off the first ball. The over leaked 16 runs, prompting an early introduction of Noor Ahmad.
On his way to the Purple Cap, Noor and Dhoni combined for a lightning stumping to dismiss Salt for 32 off 16 balls. However, Devdutt Padikkal countered with aggressive strokes, unsettling Jadeja with sweeps and charges that yielded 15 runs in an over.
Patidar Ruins CSK’s Plans
When Ashwin got Padikkal for 27 off 14 deliveries, CSK saw a chance to regain control. But Patidar ensured spin wasn’t used effectively against Virat Kohli, who struggled to maintain a run-a-ball strike rate. Patidar launched Noor over the ropes at the first opportunity, while Kohli took 16 runs off Pathirana’s second over, pushing RCB to 109 for 2 in 11 overs.
Jadeja nearly had his revenge when he induced a mis-hit from Patidar, but Deepak Hooda dropped a sitter. Patidar survived three half-chances before eventually falling, while Kohli’s wicket slowed RCB down to 145 for 4 in the 16th over.
RCB End Strongly
Jitesh Sharma’s inside-out six off Noor and Patidar’s stylish pick-up shot off Pathirana provided the needed acceleration before the death overs. Despite a one-run 19th over by Pathirana, Tim David’s three sixes in the last over off Sam Curran pushed RCB well past what CSK considered a par total.
Fast-Bowling Clinic
Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar delivered a masterclass in seam bowling. Hazlewood’s bounce and Bhuvneshwar’s movement left CSK’s top order in tatters. Rahul Tripathi and Ruturaj Gaikwad fell in Hazlewood’s first over, while Bhuvneshwar dismissed Hooda, securing his 73rd powerplay wicket.
A Long Meander to Defeat
With three wickets lost early, CSK’s chase became a slow march toward an inevitable loss. The spinners kept Rachin Ravindra and Shivam Dube quiet, forcing them into difficult shots. Dhoni walked in with 4.4 overs left, teasing fans by batting after Jadeja and Ashwin. While he landed some big blows in the final overs, he couldn’t prevent CSK’s record home defeat.
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