CSK vs RCB Highlights: Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeat Chennai Super Kings by 50 runs

Gaikwad: "To be honest, I felt 170 was a par score on this wicket. It wasn’t the easiest pitch to bat on, and we had a bad day in the field. When you’re chasing 20 extra runs on a sticky surface, the approach in the powerplay changes. You try to be a step ahead, but sometimes it just doesn’t come off. With three quality spinners on our side, you want new batters facing them, but we didn’t create enough of those situations. That’s an area we can control and come back stronger from."

Via IPL match center

A startling admission from CSK head coach Stephen Fleming, says they are not able to read the pitches at Chepauk correctly. Possibly the angriest interaction he has ever had here.

How late is too late?

MS Dhoni's last-over hits are the stuff of legends in Indian cricket of course, but over the last couple of years, he has largely restricted himself to doing just that. Sometimes last season, to great effect. But on Friday in Chennai, you couldn't help but wonder how late is too late? For the second time in more than 340 T20 innings in his career, he walked in to bat at No 9, even after R Ashwin. The equation was 98 off 28 balls at that point, surely the game already all but over. If he had walked in before Ashwin, the equation was a slightly more plausible 117 off 43 balls. But of course, after playing out a few deliveries, Dhoni went big in the last over. Two sixes and a four off Krunal Pandya, and fans at Chepauk – unsurprisingly – lapped it up. He helped reduce the margin of defeat, sure. But when one of the commentators on air mentioned CSK fans will go home happy despite the result – a 50-run hammering against one of their closest rivals – you'd have to wonder if that sentiment is really healthy.

For the second time in 344 T20 innings in his career, MS Dhoni walked in at No. 9.

PL 18 could well be RCB's. Not many teams can come here and put up a dominating performance. To silence Chepauk is one, but to fill the air with chants of “RCB, RCB” just shows how good they were. Contests at Chinnaswamy remain unparalleled.

Back-to-back away wins for RCB to start IPL 2025... and what do you know, backed by really good bowling performances. Some really good tactical calls over both their wins. 

FIRST WIN AGAINST CSK IN CHENNAI SINCE IPL 2008, THE FIRST SEASON.

Krunal with his signature bouncer, Dhoni is beaten by it. 

And then, a 83m-six over square leg. Followed by one that goes high into the night sky, and has enough for a six. Dhoni then connects with a pull for four. 

Might not have made a difference in the end still, but isn't it fun to imagine two sixes and four (16 runs) say in the 14th over bowled by Livingstone when the required rate was around... incidentally... 16 RPO?

A BIG WIN FOR RCB, THOUGH. By 50 runs! 

Krunal Pandya to close this off. 

Oh looked like Jadeja made good contact with that one, but the pull over midwicket is straight to the fielder in the deep. A decent hand by the CSK veteran here, might help in getting some form going for the rest of the tournament. Sharp catch by Salt. 

Noor sees out the over, and Dhoni will be on strike with 67 needed off 6 balls 

Ravindra Jadeja c Phil Salt b Josh Hazlewood 25 (19 balls)

Something to cheer for the Chennai crowd. A scoop-ish shot behind the wickets followed by a heave through midwicket, two fours on the trot for Dhoni at the start of the 19th over. 

He brings up 3000 runs in IPL cricket to go with his 160 wickets. Ravi Shastri points out, the first player in the league to do the 3000 run-100 wicket double. Fine allrounder alright. 

A mighty heave over long on for six to bring up that milestone. There was a four earlier in the over too, but of course, just about reducing the margin here. Dhoni nudges a single off the last ball to retain strike with 2 overs to go. 

In case there were any doubts, CSK have no intention of trying to do the unthinkable here. Jadeja and Dhoni happy to rotate the strike in between visuals of how sloppy CSK were on the field earlier in the field. Jadeja does put one away from Hazlewood for four past square leg. Just six off that over though. 

4-0-28-2 for Liam Livingstone as he finishes a good night's work with the ball. Some handy leg spinners to Dhoni, with slip and short leg in place. Dhoni not taking any risks in that over. Will he try to go big in the last 4 overs? 

And straight away, a slip and short leg for Dhoni. Right out of the Gambhir playbook from Patidar. 

98 off 28 balls and Dhoni defends the first ball, met with loud cheers. 

Livingstone is having a really good night with the ball. Short delivery this time and Ashwin rocks back, trying to pull this over midwicket, but it is too straight and Salt makes no mistake at long on. 

Ravichandran Ashwin c Phil Salt b Liam Livingstone 11 (8 balls)

After threatening to play a reverse sweep in the last over off Livingstone, Ashwin manages to connect this time against Krunal, lofting it over the fielder at short fine for a rare boundary tonight. Equation is now 99 off 30 balls, after that 10-run Krunal Pandya over. 

Ashwin shapes up to hit a reverse sweep and Livingstone stops his action and pulls away. Then Jadeja pulls away late on strike and Livingstone has a little look at the non-striker Ashwin who, of course, has his bat firmly grounded. More relevantly, not a single boundary in that over. 

And finally, we see Krunal Pandya introduced into the attack. 

One of the famous Dhoni quotes from the past is "reducing the quantum of defeat" when a big loss seems imminent. Maybe CSK are in that mode already in this match. 

It is Ashwin, and not MS Dhoni, who has come out to bat. Interesting call, perhaps dictated by the fact that there are still 7 overs to go.

But surely, with ~17 runs needed per over, it had to be Dhoni? Surely it is not too late now? Anyway, who knows what Thala thinks in such cases these days. 

Four and out. Another one dragged onto the stumps. Sign that the pitch has slowed down and there hasn't been any dew that has made the ball skid on to the bat. After missing the length on an attempted yorker (Dube smashed that full toss for a four down the ground), Dayal gets his length spot on. Dube drags it onto the stumps. 

Shivam Dube b Yash Dayal 19 (15 balls)

Yash Dayal, the hero in Bengaluru the last time these two sides met, is having another fine day with the bat. This is full and straight, and Rachin just drags it onto his pads and the inside edge results in the stumps getting dislodged. 

Rachin Ravindra b Yash Dayal 41 (31 balls)

This has been a fascinating bowling performance so far from RCB, backing up what they did in Kolkata. 

Terrific start to that over for Suyash, keeping the ball away from Dube's big, flowing striking arc. Two dot balls, then gets him off strike with a short of length all that was angled away from Dube and making him play into RCB's field. This is terrific bowling, clear plans from RCB. HE finishes the over superbly too, firing a couple of quicker ones. The last one kept low an completely missed by Dube.

JUST TWO RUNS IN THAT OVER. And only one off the bat. Required rate now 15.25! Surely RCB can't lose from here? 

CSK simply cannot afford a boundary-less over from here on. In fact, they'd need 2 at least every over. It was shaping into a fine over from Yash Dayal, helped by a superb fielding effort at deep third by Hazlewood to prevent a boundary. But Rachin saves it somewhat with a four past short fine. 

Rajata trusts Suyash with another over and Dube will surely look to go big. Perhaps an opening coming for RCB. 

This is what Shivam Dube brings to CSK's middle order (maybe could have trusted him to come in earlier? Time will tell). But he can take down spin like nobody's business. A beautiful straight drive lofted over for a six off Suyash, and then a four too in that over. 12 off it, but the required rate is now 13+. So even that is under par. CSK need a couple of BIG overs and need it soon. 

Yash Dayal replaces Livingstone, understandably not wanting Dube to have a free hand here. 

RCB have been successful in keeping Chepauk silent for a while now. And look set to end their winless run here. Perhaps the game that needed to keep take this lopsided rivalry to the next level.

Timeout done and Livingstone completes a steady over. Shivam Dube is in the middle as the Impact Sub.

Curran falls trying to break the shackles. CSK simply have to try and go hard here, nurdling around for singles is pointless at this stage. And Livingstone, with his useful part-time offies to the leties, strikes in his 2nd over. Curran nearly yorked there, fired in, and the Englishman gets the Englisman out caught at long on. CSK's nightmare continues. 

Sam Curran c Krunal Pandya b Liam Livingstone 8 (13 balls)

It didn't seem like there was too much grip and turn when the CSK spinners were bowling early on, but Suyash made it hard for Curran and Ravindra to free their arms. The pitch is starting to hold up and is two-paced perhaps. 

A 10-run over for CSK right out of the powerplay, gives them something of a relief in what has been a tough run-chase so far. But it was a streaky one and RCB players have hands on their hands. Rachin managed to get an edge on it behind wicket for four. 

After that powerplay, RCB will be feeling really good about their chances of getting their first win at CSK's den since 2008.

The required rate: 11.92.

It is another fantastic powerplay over for RCB, as Yash Dayal concedes just four singles. Curran trying to put a couple of away but is unable to find the timing and/or placement. RCB's fielding has been sharp too.

Meanwhile, confirmation that Shivam Dube is set to be CSK's Impact Sub as he sits padded up in the CSK dugout. 

And confirmation also that RCB have gone to Suyash Sharma, the spinner, to replace Padikikal.

So, two expected Impact Subs. 

This powerplay couldn't be going much worse for CSK. Yash Dayal comes on to bowl the 6th. 

Oh the replays show Virat Kohli being the one most convinced that there was an edge there. Jitesh wasn't sure, Bhuvi only briefly appealed but Kohli went straight to Patidar with the signal for a review. HE got that one right. 

RCB have made a dream start here, Sam Curran is the new batter in. 

That's a good review from Patidar and RCB. There was a brief appeal from Bhuvi, who has clearly heard something. And they are right! There is indeed a faint knick. And Hooda's nightmare night is over. Forgettable on the field with the Patidar dropped catch and now a 9-ball 4 coming out to bat in the powerplay. 

Deepak Hooda c Jitesh Sharma b Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4 (9 balls)

What a bowler Josh Hazlewood is. Just absolutely metronomic. Rachin tries to transfer pressure back on to the Aussie pacer, starts the over with a gorgeous four through the offside. But Josh ends up conceding just one more run in the over. Hooda is under some early pressure, unable to put away the balls with Hazlewood cramping him for room. CSK have crawled to 18/2 in the run-chase. 

Tim David was asked: Did you enjoy that last over? He responded with a smile and a question, the first half or the second? It was an eventful 20th over in RCB's innings. Matheesha Pathirana had just bowled a terrific 19th over that saw him pick up the wickets of Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya, conceding just 1 run that too off a wide. Then Sam Curran was given the ball for the 20th. The second ball was an event in itself. A massive change-up in pace, 86-kph slower ball from Sam Curran. "David threw the kitchen sink at it but he was two minutes two early!" David too saw the lighter side. "Oh gee, I swung about twice! Looked like a new ball from Curran, good fun," David quipped when mic'd up during the CSK run-chase. But the next three balls, David went big: 6, 6, 6. It was met with big cheers from the RCB dugout, and it pushed RCB closer to the 200-run mark when it didn't seem possible a few minutes earlier after Pathirana's terrific over.

It was shaping into another fine over for RCB, with three straight balls from Bhuvi too Hooda, but the man who dropped Patidar on 17 and will be feeling the heat to make up for it, gets going with a streaky inside edge for four. Had no control over it but the runs all count. 

Ravichandran Ashwin has operated with the new white ball earlier, but one wonders if the veteran off-spinner has bowled such a poor ball first up. The delivery was very short and angling into the leg stump. Phil Salt, RCB's big hitter at the top order, didn't need further invitation. Salt waited for the ball to reach striking range and launched it over fine leg for a six. The next ball from Ashwin was a bit short but faster. Salt made room for himself and played the cut shot for a four. 10 runs in the first two balls of the over and the pressure was on Ashwin. This was Ashwin's second game since his return to Chennai Super Kings. In CSK's first match of the season, he wasn't too bad — using the carrom ball to dismiss Will Jacks in his first over of the season — and conceding 31 runs in his full quota. But here it was a different story. Salt didn't spare him in the last ball of the over, hitting a four to the fine leg boundary. Ashwin bowled only two overs, but got the wicket of Devdutt Padikkal — Ruturaj Gaikwad taking a catch in front of him as the ball dipped. It was an important scalp because Padikkal had stepped on the gas. But despite taking the wicket, Ashwin bowled just one more ball in the innings.

By Nihal Koshie

Oh what an over by Josh Hazlewood. The former CSK man takes the wicket of the current CSK captain. Ruturaj Gaikwad is gone! Once more, Hazlewood gets extra bounce from a short of length, that is some skill. The pull shot is miscued, goes high and not far enough, taken by the fielder at deep square leg. Big celebrations from RCB, they have the big early breakthroughs. CSK down to 8/2 after 2 overs. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad c sub (MS Bhandage) b Josh Hazlewood 0 (4 balls)

And it is that man Josh Hazlewood! One of Chennai's past heroes comes in to the attack and strikes early. Completely mishit by Tripathi, with the length ball hurrying the right-hander. The attempted pull shot is way off the mark, and he finds the fielder at mid wicket. 

Rahul Tripathi c Phil Salt b Josh Hazlewood 5 (3 balls)

A really good opening over from Bhuvi, getting some early shape both ways as he usually does... but a streaky cut from Tripathi off the last ball, edged over the slip, goes for four. There was a really good ball to Rachin in that over, moving back into the lefthander from a good length. The NZ opener did well to block that out. 

It is once again Rachin Ravindra and Rahul Tripathi to open the batting, Ruturaj Gaikwad keeping himself at No. 3 again most likely. Typically like CSK, not one for chopping and changing. 

Bhuvi has the new ball in hand. Here we go. 

Shane Watson in the JioHotstar studios reckons Virat Kohli was a bit frantic at the crease today, trying to force the pace a bit too much, especially moving around the crease more than he usually does. His 30 off 31 was an odd knock, not for a lack of intent but couldn't find the timing. 

Anyway, time for the run-chase. 

Noor Ahmad, donning the purple cap, reckons this is a better batting surface than the one we saw against MI. But CSK will need their collective A-game to chase this down. 

Is tonight the night the long wait since 2008 comes to an end for RCB for a win in Chennai. 

A stunning over by Pathirana for the 19th, just one run that too off a wide. Then two dot balls to start the 20th and CSK would have been very happy... until David went big with THREE SIXES in the last over. 

How costly will that Curran over be? Join us soon for the chase. 

DAVID GOES BIG! Two dots to start the 20th over. Then David goes BOOM -- 6, 6, 6. After the slower ball, he picked up a quicker full ball and put it over fine leg. Then another slower ball, this time down the ground for a big one. Then follows that up with one over long on, and Kohli is applauding from the dugout! Curran then bowls a wide trying to close out the over. The last ball appears to be a dot ball, but David asks for a review for a bouncer. Not much time required, it is below the bead and it is a dot ball. 

RCB FINISH ON 196/7 IN 20 OVERS. They might have taken this at the toss, one imagines? 

86-kph slower ball from Sam Curran. "David threw the kitchen sink at it but he was two minutes two early!" Ravi Shastri having some fun with that. Tim David completely beaten by that. 

Just one run from the over! And that was a wide down the leg side. And two wickets to go with it. Welcome back, Matheesha! 

Pathirana pegging RCB back! 190+ seemed to be on the cards just a few minutes back but things have changed quickly! What an over this is turning out to be. Seemed like another slower ball, but the speed gun showed 133.2 kph. Krunal definitely didn't pick up the pace off the length ball, chips it to long on where Curran takes another catch. 

Krunal Pandya c Hooda b Pathirana 0 (3 balls)

End of the rollercoaster ride for Rajat Patidar. No reprieve this time as Sam Curran calls for a skier nice and early, gets into a good position and completes the catch. Pathirana gets his first wicket of the season. Change of pace? Patidar slices it, one hand comes off, Curran does the rest. 

Rajat Patidar c Sam Curran b Matheesha Pathirana 51 (32 balls)

David gets off the mark with a four. Couple of boundaries in that 18th over but that's the end of the good night's work for Khaleel Ahmed, 4-0-28-1 for him. 

CSK's catching has been it and miss tonight but that is one of the best in the world in deep midwicket in action. Jadeja makes no mistake from what appeared a tricky low catch. Jitesh goes, looking for another big hit but that's a useful cameo, brings Tim David to the middle. 

Jitesh Sharma c Ravindra Jadeja b Khaleel Ahmed 12 (6 balls)

He has had luck on his side alright but that is another stroke-filled knock from Rajat Patidar, who makes batting look fun when he strikes them clean. He gets to a 30-ball half century with a square cut for four off Khaleel. 

Pathirana's perhaps understandably rusty here. Not quite hitting his unhittable block-hole lengths. Errs on the slot length, Patidar beautifully flicks one over long on for six! That was some hit. The cameraperson promptly pans to Deepak Hooda who's dropped catch is now proving very costly. Jitesh finishes the over with a brilliant pull shot for four. 

14 off that over! 

Pathirana has two more overs to go, but where will Ruturaj go for the remaining two overs? Sam Curran perhaps? Surely no more spin this late with Patidar and Jitesh in the middle. Khaleel has one left too. 

There are a lot of expectations on Jitesh in RCB colours, taking up the finisher+wicketkeeper role from Dinesh Karthik. And there's a brief glimpse why... what a shot over extra cover for six to finish Noor's spell. Gave room and lofted it beautifully, all timing. 

The 150 comes up for RCB after 16 overs. Noor finishes with 3/36. 

He moves to 7 wickets for the season! What an acquisition (long term) Noor Ahmad could prove to be for CSK. His third wicket of the night as he gets Liam Livingstone out bowled. The Englishman managed to connect one for six, just clearing the fielder at deep square leg. But next ball, TIMBER. 

Liam Livingstone b Noor Ahmad 10 (9 balls)