HIGHLIGHTS RCB vs CSK IPL 2025 Match 52 - Result, Scorecard

Welcome back to CSK's reply with the bat. Out walk the CSK openers - Ayush Mhatre and Shaik Rasheed. Royal Challengers Bengaluru players now spread out across the field. Remember, there's no Hazlewood for RCB tonight. And surprisingly, they are going with spin first up. Krunal Pandya has been handed over the new ball and will open the attack for the home side. Mhatre to face the first ball. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

With all the momentum springing back in RCB's favor in those last couple of overs, they have put on a total that CSK hasn't chased in a long, long time. In fact, the men in yellow have not chased anything above 180 since last few years now. With one of the worst batting averages in the Powerplay this season, averaging just 7.91 in the field restrictions, they will need a strong start from the openers. But they will be up against a quality RCB bowling unit. Stay tuned as the run chase is up next shortly.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Jacob Bethell, is up for a chat. On Romario Shepherd's knock, Bethell says that it was incredible to watch. Adds that he doesn't think that he middled all his shots but it didn't seem like that. On his opening partnership with Virat Kohli, Jacob says that the duo made sure that it kept hitting everything down the ground. Informs that the feedback from Virat Kohli on the pitch was that there was not much bounce and to try and get on top of the new ball. On batting against the new ball, JB says that there wasn't much swing early on and that made batting easier. Adds that he loved hitting the ball through the covers. On the experience to be playing alongside Kohli, Jacob Bethell says that it was pretty cool to be with him in Delhi and even more so tonight, as he got to spend some more time in the middle with the legend. On RCB's score, Bethell says that the team wanted 210, so they are happy that they got that. Informs that there was some spin in the middle overs, so expects RCB's spinners to extract spin as well. Feels that the cameo from Romario Shepherd has given Bengaluru plenty of momentum.

However, what followed next was the muscle power of Romario Shepherd. He provided the much-needed propulsion for RCB, with those finishing touches, taking on Khaleel Ahmed to the cleaners, smashing 33 off that penultimate over, which was also the costliest over this season so far by any bowler. All of a sudden, from being 159/4 at the beginning of the penultimate over, RCB sprang to 200-plus courtesy of a 14-ball blinder 50 from Shepherd, which included 6 sixes and four boundaries.

The incoming batters did try to sustain that momentum, but Kohli's departure brought in a bit of a slowdown, however, RCB were still marching along with a run rate in touching distance of 10s. Introduced early, Pathirana struck off in his first over, and it seemed to be his night as he chipped in with crucial wickets of Padikkal and Patidar. Sooner, RCB slipped from 97/0 to 157/5.

CSK bowlers were not consistent with their lines and lengths and took a tour all around the park as RCB were cruising like a runaway train. Alarm bells were already ringing for CSK, as their best bowler, Khaleel Ahmed, was made to travel as well. Almost all bowlers were taken to the cleaners, but Jadeja bowled a couple of quiet overs, and then Pathirana chipped in with the first breakthrough. Virat Kohli too, got out sooner, but not before smashing 7th fifty of this season, and marking his fifth fifty-plus score in the last six innings.

RCB got off to a very positive start for RCB as both Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell treated with some exquisite shots that were not only eye-pleasing, but helped the home side to form a solid foundation right away. Add to CSK's woes, Bethell was dropped on 17 by Pathirana and survived a couple of close chances as well. As if luck was on his side tonight. With a flurry of boundaries, RCB bossed the Powerplay, posting 71/0 on the board.

MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY! That's what CSK would have screamed out of their lungs after witnessing an absolute carnage in the last two overs. RCB were nowhere in the vicinity of that 200-run mark, but this cameo from Romario Shepherd has just flipped the game 180 degrees. A blinder of a finish, and Tim David, the other brute hitter, on the other end, was just made to be a spectator. Shepherd sprints into the dugout, and is welcomed by the joyous RCB players. Feel for the CSK bowlers, though. They applied the brakes in the mid overs, only to witness something out of the book in the death overs.

Matheesha Pathirana to Romario Shepherd, SIX! 14-BALL 50 FOR SHEPHERD! A new hero for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. A length ball, outside off, change in pace, but the West Indian reads that. Gives himself room to the leg side and sends it sailing over long off! Shepherd swings his bat to the RCB dugout, getting his name in the record books. The fastest fifty in the IPL belongs to Yashasvi Jaiswal in 13 balls and this is now the second fastest fifty! 54 runs come in the last 2 overs, with Shepherd making 52 of those! RCB FINISH ON 213/5!

Scrambles and shambles on the field. Every fielder nearly is changing his positions. How do they stop the ball from going over their heads?

Matheesha Pathirana to Romario Shepherd, SIX! Make that 47 in 13! A short ball, outside off, Shepherd pulls the bones out of this one, nearly clearing the roof at the Chinnaswamy, at the mid-wicket region!

Matheesha Pathirana to Romario Shepherd, FOUR! WHOOSH! 41 in 12 balls for Romario Shepherd, with 4 fours and 4 sixes! A length ball, on middle and off, Shepherd clears his front leg and swings this through cow corner. Dewald Brevis races to his right from long on but cannot get there!

Matheesha Pathirana to Romario Shepherd, A slower ball, fuller in length outside off, Shepherd swings hard, but misses, for a change. Is disgusted with himself.

Matheesha Pathirana to Romario Shepherd, FOUR! And that's why the Aussie is going off strike. A short ball, slower in pace, Romario Shepherd pulls it over mid-wicket!

Matheesha Pathirana to Tim David, Full, on middle, for a change, Tim David is rotating the strike. Flicks this ball towards deep square leg and gives the strike back to the West Indian.

Wow. Out of nowhere, 205-210 is back in the reckoning. How much can Pathirana restrict these hitters to?

Khaleel Ahmed to Romario Shepherd, FOUR! Not a bad ball, actually. The plan was to bowl short, away from the batter, outside off. And Khaleel did exactly that. Because fine leg and square leg, both were inside the circle. But Romario Shepherd climbed all over that short ball again and swung hard with the pull. Got the top half of the bat but the power was enough, to land beyond backward square leg and meet the fence one more time! 33 from the over and RCB have galloped to 192/5 with an over left! 3-0-65-0 for Khaleel Ahmed tonight.

Khaleel Ahmed to Romario Shepherd, Excellent yorker on the Free Hit. Outside off, Romario tries to reach it but misses. He reviews for a wide but the third umpire finds that the ball is well within the revised wide guidelines. A rare dot ball!

Khaleel Ahmed to Romario Shepherd, NO BALL, SIX! That's 29 in 4 balls, legally! A short ball, outside off, slower in pace, Shepherd throws his bat at it and hits it well over cover! Deepak Hooda now has a word with the bowler. How does he come off this over?

Khaleel Ahmed to Romario Shepherd, SIX MORE! Make that 22 in 4! A full toss, outside off, Shepherd swings it over long off. He seems to have miscued it and long off thinks himself to be in contention for the catch but in the end, the power on the shot tips the ball over! Khaleel seems to be blank at the moment.

Khaleel Ahmed to Romario Shepherd, EDGED, FOUR! 16 runs on the first three balls! And did someone say CSK need to keep Shepherd on strike? A length ball, outside off, Romario Shepherd throws his bat at it and gets a thick outside edge. To his luck, the edge flies over the leaping short third fielder and races to the ropes behind!

Khaleel Ahmed to Romario Shepherd, SIX MORE! Shepherd is coming to the party at Chinnaswamy! A length ball, outside off, Shepherd clears his front leg and hammers this over long off, for consecutive sixes!

Khaleel Ahmed to Romario Shepherd, SIX! WHAM! When the ball is not coming onto the bat, you need muscle. And Romario possesses plenty of that. Not a trace of subtlety. Just brute power. A short ball, outside off, angling away, Romario Shepherd climbs all over it and pulls it massively over deep mid-wicket!

Khaleel Ahmed will bowl the 19th over. 2-0-32-0 so far.

Matheesha Pathirana to Romario Shepherd, Around off, worked through square leg for a single.

This has been an excellent comeback by the Super Kings.

Matheesha Pathirana to Romario Shepherd, WIDE. Onfield call overturned. A short ball, wide outside off, slanting further away, Romario Shepherd reached out for the cut but missed. The umpire let it be but Shepherd reviewed for the wide call. Sure enough. The third umpire had enough evidence to find that the ball was well out of Romario's reach.

Matheesha Pathirana to Romario Shepherd, A short ball wide outside off, left alone.

Romario Shepherd walks in next at number 7, replacing his skipper Rajat Patidar.

Matheesha Pathirana to Rajat Patidar, OUT! CAUGHT! Third wicket for Pathirana, his best this season! A slower ball, outside off, on a length, Rajat Patidar backs away to the leg side and attempts to slap it over the infield on the off side. But the lack of pace does him in and he toe-ends the ball towards mid off, where Sam Curran makes no mistake. Patidar departs for 11 (15) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are 157/5 after 17.4 overs. They were 97/0 at one stage.

Matheesha Pathirana to Rajat Patidar, WIDE. Miles down the leg side, flick shot missed.

Matheesha Pathirana to Rajat Patidar, Outside off, swinging away, a slash and a miss.

Matheesha Pathirana to Tim David, DROPPED? A short ball, wide outside off, Tim David slaps it straight to point. Ayush Mhatre is unable to stop it cleanly and parries it away. The replay is a bit unclear and let's keep it to a single for now.

Matheesha Pathirana to Rajat Patidar, A short ball, on middle, Rajat Patidar goes for the pull but is done in by the height. Miscues it off the top edge, which lands in front of deep backward square leg. A single taken.

Noor Ahmad to Tim David, Full, around off, Tim David defends. He wanders around for a single but is sent back. Superb finish by Noor. First 7 balls, 18 runs, next 18 balls, 8 runs. He finishes with figures of 4-0-26-1.

In comes the finisher. Tim David is in at number 6, replacing Jitesh Sharma.

Noor Ahmad to Jitesh Sharma, OUT! CAUGHT! A wicket at last for Noor. A googly, although short, Jitesh Sharma looks to take the ball on and goes for the pull. But the ball turning away makes him lean for more power and he miscues his shot. Gets it between long on and deep mid-wicket with the areas being patrolled. Sam Curran races to his right from long on, takes the catch, then realizing that he is going over, parries it to Dewald Brevis just beside him. Jitesh departs for  7 (8) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are 154/4 after 16.5 overs. They were 97/0 at one stage.

Noor Ahmad to Jitesh Sharma, Another desperate shot. Jitesh goes for the reverse hoick again, only to miss. The ball goes past his attempt and is taken by Dhoni.

Noor Ahmad to Jitesh Sharma, A touch short, outside off, punched through the covers for a brace.

Noor Ahmad to Jitesh Sharma, Outside off, spinning away, Jitesh Sharma looks to cut but misses.

Noor Ahmad to Rajat Patidar, On middle and leg, Rajat Patidar looks to play the reverse pull but misses. The ball deflects off his pads and a leg bye is taken.

Matheesha Pathirana to Jitesh Sharma, FOUR! Super shot. A half volley, outside off, Jitesh Sharma leans and drives it between mid off and cover! 7 runs and a wicket from the over, Matheesha Pathirana's figures read 2-0-10-2.

Matheesha Pathirana to Jitesh Sharma, WIDE. Another quick bouncer, around off, too high, left alone. Wided for height.

Matheesha Pathirana to Rajat Patidar, A quick bumper, fended down to fine leg for a run.

Matheesha Pathirana to Jitesh Sharma, Outside off, a miscued pull played towards deep mid-wicket, for a single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Jitesh Sharma, Some reverse swing in, around middle and leg, Jitesh misses his flick and the ball goes between his legs to the keeper.

Matheesha Pathirana to Jitesh Sharma, Around off, pushed towards point.

Jitesh Sharma walks in next at number 5, replacing Devdutt Padikkal.

Matheesha Pathirana to Devdutt Padikkal, OUT! CAUGHT! Pathirana gets the wicket again! Not the best of balls, mind you. It is a wide ball, but Devdutt Padikkal decides to have a go at it. The slower ball does him in, as he backs away to the leg side and throws his bat at it. Miscues it high in the air, where Ravindra Jadeja makes no mistake at deep point. Padikkal departs for 17 (15) and from 97/0, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are now 144/3, in the span of 33 balls.

Oops, we missed it. But no worries, we shall mention it now. Thanks to his wonderful 62, VIRAT KOHLI HAS THE ORANGE CAP! 505 runs this season, at an average of 63.12 and a strike rate of 143.46. 7 half centuries in 11 innings. Matheesha Pathirana returns. 1-0-3-1 so far.

Noor Ahmad to Rajat Patidar, Quicker one, into the pitch and just darting across off. Patidar fails to pick it and look to cut but is beaten by the turn and the extra bounce as well. Well taken by Dhoni behind the stumps.

Noor Ahmad to Devdutt Padikkal, Tossed up, a bit full and on the stumps, Padikkal sits down and brooms it away through the square leg region for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Rajat Patidar, Goes well short and keeps the ball well outside off, Rajat Patidar goes for the cross-batted shot and muscles it to deep mid-wicket for one more.

Noor Ahmad to Devdutt Padikkal, Another googly, Padikkal swings hard and miscues it through the leg side for a run.

Noor Ahmad to Devdutt Padikkal, Around off, spinning in, pushed back to the bowler.

Noor Ahmad to Rajat Patidar, The googly, wide outside off, Rajat Patidar reaches out to slap but mistimes it off the toe end of the bat towards long off. A single taken.

Sam Curran to Rajat Patidar, Pace-off to end the over from Curran. Bowled back of a length and around off, tapped down through wide mid off for a single.

Sam Curran to Devdutt Padikkal, Bowled short this time and over middle, Padikkal leans back and pulls it crisply to deep mid-wicket for just a single this time.

Sam Curran to Devdutt Padikkal, SIX! BANG! Another slower one, floated up right in the slot around middle. Devdutt Padikkal hangs back in his crease and then hits through the line, smashing it back over long on for a huge six.

Sam Curran to Devdutt Padikkal, FOUR! Up and over! A length ball, outside off, Padikkal stays leg side of the ball and whacks it over mid off, one bounce and into the fence!

Just a bit of a breather as Padikkal calls for some medical help on his wrists. He has been stuggling a touch and will aim to keep up the momentum set up by the openers.

Sam Curran to Devdutt Padikkal, What happened there? A quick bouncer perhaps, Devdutt Padikkal swivelled for the pull but missed it. Now, the ball went off something and hit the back of the helmet, knocking off the added protective equiment to prevent the ball hitting the back of the head! As soon as this happened, even Sam Curran had to hold his breath, fearing the worst. Thankfully, Padikkal is okay. Hang on. The replay shows that the ball hit the wrist band.

Sam Curran to Devdutt Padikkal, Outside off, another slower ball, punched straight to mid off.

STRATEGIC TIMEOUT. This one called by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. This has been a trend this season, with the batting side opting to call for the timeout around the 13th or the 14th over, treating the last 5-6 overs like another Powerplay. It has been a tough outing for Chennai Super Kings so far, with only 6 overs out of 13 going in single digits. Nearly everyone has travelled, with a slight exception in Anshul Kamboj and Ravindra Jadeja. Of course, Pathirana has bowled just 1 over. With a big batting lineup, the hosts seem poised to get to 220, but given that Pathirana has taken a wicket in his opening over, could tonight be the night where his fortunes change? Also, with two new batters in the middle, there could be a slight loss in momentum for the home side.

Noor Ahmad to Rajat Patidar, Three dots on the trot to close out the over! Back of a length again, around off, and this one holds its line. Patidar punches it from his crease but straight to mid off.

Noor Ahmad to Rajat Patidar, Beaten again! Pulls the length back, flattening the trajectory and angles it across the right-hander again. Patidar throws his hands at it but is beaten on the angle.

Noor Ahmad to Rajat Patidar, Nicely bowled! Good energy into the delivery, bowling it a smidge fuller on off. It is the googly that slides across the right-hander and Rajat Patidar is well beaten.

Noor Ahmad to Devdutt Padikkal, More evidence of turn. Around off, spinning away, Devdutt Padikkal looks to defend but the turn squares him up. The ball goes off the outside edge towards short third. A run taken.

Noor Ahmad to Rajat Patidar, Around middle, Patidar looks to drive again but gets it off the inner half of the bat through mid-wicket. A quick run taken.

Noor Ahmad to Rajat Patidar, FOUR! BRILLIANT! A bit too full, outside off, Rajat Patidar moves to the leg side, opening up the off side, reaches out and drives it through the covers. Wide long off runs to his left, nearly gets to the ball with a dive but it slips under his effort.

With just 2 wins this season so far, this is CSK's least number of wins in any IPL season by far, with the next lowest being 4 in IPL 2022. Noor Ahmad is back on. 1-0-14-0 so far.

Sam Curran to Rajat Patidar, Short of a good length, around middle and angled in. Rajat Patidar awkwardly nudges it down into the leg side but manages to scamper through for the single.

The RCB skipper, Rajat Patidar, walks in next, at number 4, replacing Virat Kohli. This was no ordinary 50 for the King. The last time Kohli made a score in excess of 50 against CSK was way back in IPL 2021. This one will be etched in memory for a while.

Sam Curran to Virat Kohli, OUT! CAUGHT! Straight to the fielder and a soft dismissal in the end for Virat Kohli. Sam Curran goes into the pitch and bowls it short, angling it across off. Kohli tries to stay leg side of the ball and leans back a bit to just guide it uppishly over backward point. However, Kohli ends up just pushing it towards backward point where Khaleel Ahmed takes a simple catch and throws the ball back into the deck as a sign of relief. A fast and furious knock from Kohli comes to an end at 62 (33) and RCB are now 121/2!

Sam Curran to Devdutt Padikkal, Pitched up on a nagging length on off, Padikkal takes half a step forward and just defends it in front of extra cover for a single.

Sam Curran to Virat Kohli, Outside off, punched through the covers for a run.

Sam Curran to Virat Kohli, MISFIELD, FOUR! Did all the hard work, but could not complete the job. A touch fuller, outside off, Virat Kohli drove this powerfully down the ground through mid off. Deepak Hooda, a bit wide at long off, raced to his right, slid across, got to the ball but it hit his leg and deflected into the ropes behind.

Sam Curran to Devdutt Padikkal, A short ball, outside off, Devdutt Padikkal slaps it towards deep point for a single.

Kohli has scored 5 fifties in his last 6 innings, averaging 104.67; averaging roughly 74 balls per dismissal on an average! Sam Curran returns. 1-0-14-0 so far.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, FOUR! Kohli's had a look at Jadeja for a couple of overs, and has now just taken him to the cleaners. Tossed up, fuller and outside off, Kohli advances and swats it flat over covers for a boundary to end the over. 17 off it!

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, FOUR! FIFTY up for Kohli with a smashing shot! Fractionally short and a bit outside off, Virat Kohli is onto it in a flash and slaps the ball away just behind point for a boundary. A 62nd IPL half century for Kohli, simply staggering! 7th this season alone!

Kohli on 49...

Ravindra Jadeja to Devdutt Padikkal, A bit more round arm from Jadeja, darted full and across off, Devdutt Padikkal reaches for it and squeezes it behind point for one.

Ravindra Jadeja to Devdutt Padikkal, Short and wide outside off, Devdutt Padikkal cuts hard but finds backward point.

Ravindra Jadeja to Devdutt Padikkal, WIDE. Fired well outside off, left alone.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, Flatter, around off, Kohli hangs back and dabs it towards short third for a single. Moves to 49.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, SIX! WHAM! Fractionally flighted, outside off, Virat Kohli gets down on a knee and mows a slog sweep. There isn't much elevation, but the ball travels like a rocket, clearing mid-wicket! Six number 5 for Kohli tonight!

Kohli has now averaged 60-plus for the second consecutive season after IPL 2024; being one of the only 3 players to average more than 60, having scored 300 runs in consecutive seasons of the IPL.

Matheesha Pathirana to Devdutt Padikkal, Around off, full, Devdutt Padikkal looks to block, but the ball rolls off the thick outside edge to short third.

Devdutt Padikkal walks in at number 3, replacing Jacob Bethell.

Matheesha Pathirana to Jacob Bethell, OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! CAUGHT! The wicket will be registered in Pathirana's wicket column, but it is that man, Dewald Brevis who takes a screamer of a catch! Finally, CSK get their first breakthrough! He bowls it into the deck, on the stumps, Jacob Bethell pulls it but the timing is not that perfect on it. Goes through the shot aerially and behind square leg. Dewald Brevis stationed at deep square leg, initially misjudges the ball and takes a few steps back, but eventually sprints forward a few yards, and dives to scoop the ball before the grass with a slide.He almost plugs his left elbow on the ground, but shows good awareness to land on the back. Jacob Bethell departs for an impressive 55 off just 33 balls, and RCB are 97/1.

Matheesha Pathirana to Virat Kohli, Attacks the stumps, full and at 127.1 kph, Virat Kohli heaves it across to deep square leg. Another single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Jacob Bethell, Angled across off, on a fullish length, at 141.2 kph, Jacob Bethell reaches for it and works it to deep point for a single.

Matheesha Pathirana to Jacob Bethell, Almost a half-tracker, around off, Jacob Bethell leans back and goes for the pull shot, but inside edges it onto the front pad.

Matheesha Pathirana to Virat Kohli, Matheesha Pathirana begins with a length delivery, on off, Virat Kohli turns it away to deep square leg for a single.

For the third consecutive season, Kohli has been featuring in the top five leading run-scorers' list in the IPL. With RCB's foot in the door of the playoffs, the legend is all set to remain in the top 5, and who knows, possibly get the Orange Cap too, by the end of the season! Here's Matheesha Pathirana. It has been a forgetful season for him, with his wides being in the news more often than his yorkers.

Ravindra Jadeja to Jacob Bethell, Length-delivery, drifting onto the stumps, Jacob Bethell looks to work across the line but gets an inside edge on the front pad. 7 off Jadeja's second over. 21 from the last two for RCB.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, Pushed through, fuller and on the stumps, Virat Kohli lunges forward with a huge stride and clips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, Nagging length, on off, punched into the off side.

Ravindra Jadeja to Jacob Bethell, Bethell manages a run even on that! Darted on a length, around off, Jacob Bethell looks to pull but gets a thick inside edge onto his pads. The ball rolls to the vacant point region and even though MS Dhoni hares after it, the batters cross each other quickly for a run.

Ravindra Jadeja to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! MAIDEN IPL FIFTY FOR JACOB BETHELL! Quicker and fuller, just around off, Jacob Bethell reads the length early and switches his stance, and just scoops it over short third for a boundary. A fifty off just 28 balls and he is looking in complete control.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, Flat, quick, on middle and leg, Virat Kohli knocks it down to long on for a single.

Another 50 coming? Kohli has the most 50-plus scores (6) in IPL 2025. He is now 12 short of getting his 7th half century this season.

Sam Curran to Virat Kohli, Had to hurry! A bumper from Curran, on top of the stumps, Virat Kohli pulls it wide of mid-wicket and steals a quick single. There was a bit of a yes and no between the batters, but they manage to cross over.

Sam Curran to Virat Kohli, SIX! CRACKING STROKE! A pace-off delivery, on middle and leg, Virat Kohli stands deep in the crease and just whips it over deep square leg for a six.

Sam Curran to Jacob Bethell, Bowls it wide outside off, on a yard behind fuller length, Jacob Bethell expands his arms and hits it to deep backward point for a single.

Sam Curran to Virat Kohli, A slower ball, on the nagging length, around leg, Virat Kohli punches it wide of mid off for a quick single.

Sam Curran to Jacob Bethell, Goes full on off, Jacob Bethell presses forward and taps it through point for a single.

Sam Curran to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! Englishman to Englishman and the batter begins with a bang! Back of a length, outside off, too much width, Jacob Bethell waits for it and just cuts it behind square at deep backward point for a boundary.

STRATEGIC TIMEOUT. A bit surprising to see Dhoni wait for one more over beyond the Powerplay to call this break. It has been nothing short of a horror show for the visiting side, with its bowlers not quite able to adjust on this track which seems to be a deathbed for the seamers. There was some swing, but it quickly disappeared after the opening over. If any, there is some extra bounce if you bend your back, but haven't seen much instances of that so far. The readers of the pitch predicted that there would be spin on offer, and Jadeja extracted plenty of bounce in the previous over. Would be interesting to see how do these middle overs go by. Jacob Bethell is having a gala time out there, reminding everyone of his talent and it is another surprise that Dhoni didn't think of THIS bowling option in the Powerplay - Bethell's countryman - Sam Curran. Here he is, finally with the ball.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, Darts it on the shortish length, around leg, Virat Kohli works it across to short mid-wicket. A tidy over from Jadeja. Just 2 off it. Also, the best over for CSK so far.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, Quick, flat, and short, around middle, with some extra bounce. Kohli rocks back and creates room and looks to play the square cut. Gets beaten by the pace and bounce.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, Back to around the stumps. An in-drifter, quick and full, at 103.5 kph, on leg, Virat Kohli gets a bit of an outside edge and it rolls to short third.

Ravindra Jadeja to Jacob Bethell, Over the stumps to the left-hander. Short and outside off, cut away off the back foot to deep point for another run.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, Floated fuller, around off, Kohli leans into it and drives with the spin, to long off for a single.

Ravindra Jadeja to Virat Kohli, Around the stumps, some spin, on a length, around off, turning away as it lands on the seam. Virat Kohli rocks back and tries to punch on the off side, but is beaten.

Virat Kohli once again finds himself in the charts of leading run-scorers in IPL 2025, currently placed at the 3rd spot with 472 runs. He now trails the leader, Sai Sudharsan, by 32 runs. Here's Ravindra Jadeja.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, Kamboj goes fuller, and on the leg stump line, Virat Kohli clips it along the ground for a single at deep mid-wicket. 11 off the over, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru end their Powerplay on 71/0.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, Swing and a miss! Bowls to Kohli's vulnerability, does Kamboj, well outside off, on a length, inviting him for the shot, Virat Kohli does that, goes for a booming off drive, but gets beaten.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, Finds the fielder, but that was traveling! Fuller in length, around off, Virat Kohli dances down the track and slaps it to the left of cover. Noor Ahmad there makes a good stop.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, A rare, rare dot delivery! On the back of a length, angling onto the pads, Virat Kohli looks to work across off the back foot, but gets rapped on the front thigh pad.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, FOUR! As if these two batters are not seeing any fielders on the park! What a start this has been for RCB! Bit too full, on the leg stump, Virat Kohli charges down the track and times the on drive, to the left of the diving mid on fielder for a boundary.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, SIX! Poor bowling this, and it goes the distance! A marginal stray in line, on the pads, on a fuller length, Virat Kohli with a perfectly balanced stance, flicks it aerially over deep backward square leg for a six.

This comes as a bit of a bad news for CSK. Not totally unexpected though. After the collision between Jadeja and Pathirana, the Sri Lankan is off the field. He has been replaced by Kamlesh Nagarkoti.

Noor Ahmad to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! That's pretty ordinary bowling and Jacob Bethell has now raced into the 40s. A juicy full toss, outside off, Bethell leans into the shot a bit and hammers it through the gap at covers for a boundary.

Noor Ahmad to Jacob Bethell, Fuller in length, sliding back into the batter, Bethell looks to drive but gets it off the inner half of the blade to mid-wicket.

Noor Ahmad to Jacob Bethell, SIX! That's huge! A long hop from Noor, around middle and leg. Jacob Bethell picks it up really early and rocks back before pouncing on the pull shot and powers it deep into the stands over the square leg fence. That's traveled 99 meters!

Noor Ahmad to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! 50-RUN OPENING STAND UP! In 27 balls. Flighted, around off, Bethell gets down and mows a slog sweep. Does not quite get it off the middle of the bat, but the ball still gushes off the inner half, racing through this quick outfield and meeting the mid-wicket fence.

Noor Ahmad to Jacob Bethell, A touch short, outside off, punched towards point this time.

Noor Ahmad to Jacob Bethell, Tossed up, outside off, Jacob Bethell drives it straight to cover, who gets a bit of a bad bounce but manages to stop the ball with his body.

CSK are having a season to forget with just 2 wins in 10 games, the team with the least number of wins this season so far. Spin is in early. Here's Noor Ahmad.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, FOUR! Thrashed away! Short of a length and outside off, Virat Kohli stays upright and just spanks the ball away in front of square, in between point and covers and picks up yet another boundary.

The physio is out to check on Matheesha Pathirana. One can see a few spots of blood dripping down onto the ground but Ravindra Jadeja seems to be kind of assuring the physio that it is just a minor scratch. The scenes do look a bit worrisome, but looking at the body language of the CSK players, it does appear that it might not be a huge issue. Let's hope Pathirana is fine. The replay shows that Pathirana's chin collided with Jadeja's arm and the contact looked to be a touch hard. It is easy to say that the players should have called but the answer would be a gentle recommendation to visit the Chinnaswamy. It is deafening. How does your call get heard? All set to resume now.

Anshul Kamboj to Jacob Bethell, Uh, oh! A DROPPED catch and a hefty collision as well! Kamboj hurls it in on a hard length around off as Jacob Bethell looks to lean back and pull. The ball flies up off the top edge and goes over the backward point region. Ravindra Jadeja chases after it from short third as Matheesha Pathirana comes charging in from deep backward point. Jadeja has the ball in his grasp but he ends up running into Pathirana and that impact makes the ball pop out of his hands. A single taken and Pathirana is down on the deck, hopefully, he is fine. Bethell seems to have the stroke of luck today.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, Drop and run! This is what Kohli does better than almost anyone else. Hard-length delivery, around the top of off, Kohli just pats it down gently in front of square on the off side and picks up a quick run.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, A bit of a rash and an odd shot. Out of nowhere, Virat Kohli jumps down the track and has a slash at a length ball, only to miss.

Anshul Kamboj to Jacob Bethell, UPPISH, SAFE! Another slice of luck for the Englishman. On a length, around off, angling away, Bethell looks to punch but the ball suddenly extracts steep bounce and hits the splice of the bat. Flies in the air but goes wide of a diving Dewald Brevis at backward point, to his right. A single taken.

Anshul Kamboj to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! BEAUTY! Only slightly overpitched, but the error has to be minimal on this deck. Around middle and leg, Jacob Bethell punches it straight back past the bowler, through mid on, for a boundary.

Against CSK, RCB have a head-to-head record of 12-21 in terms of wins in the IPL, but in the last five meetings, RCB have had a slight edge over them with 3 wins. In Bengaluru, both have had equal wins with 5 apiece.

Khaleel Ahmed to Virat Kohli, SIX! That's bread and butter for Kohli and Khaleel Ahmed has gone for 32 in his first 2 overs! Very full but drifting onto the pads, Kohli picks it up and flicks it just behind square on the leg side for another effortless six. 19 off the over!

300 for VIRAT KOHLI! Ahem? That was the 300th six for Virat Kohli, for RCB, which includes IPL and CLT20. It also marks his 150th six at Chinnaswamy in T20 cricket!

Khaleel Ahmed to Virat Kohli, SIX! BANG! An attempted bumper now, over middle and this one comes in at an awkward height as well, right around the badge. Virat Kohli swivels and gets on top of the bounce, pulling it deep into the stands over fine leg for a six. That was made to look too easy!

Khaleel Ahmed to Jacob Bethell, Slashed away! Short and wide from Khaleel, Bethell reaches for it and goes hard at the cut, mistiming it towards deep backward point for only a single.

Khaleel Ahmed to Jacob Bethell, Good comeback by the bowler. The length is held back slightly, outside off, not much width, Jacob looks to punch but misses. Nearly gets an outside edge behind.

Khaleel Ahmed to Jacob Bethell, SIX! WHACK! Fractionally short, outside off, Bethell latches onto the width, goes back and pulls it with aplomb over mid-wicket! First six of the night.

Khaleel Ahmed to Jacob Bethell, Around off, on a length, Jacob Bethell watchfully pushes this towards cover-point.

After losing 3 consecutive home games this season, RCB found some courage when they won their 4th home game against RR. Interestingly, they batted first on all 4 occasions. This season, RCB have won all their matches on the road so far, 6 to be precise, but at home, they have won just 1 out of 4.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, Tidy start from Kamboj! Back of a length and around the fourth stump line, Kohli gets up on his toes and plays it down with an angled bat towards backward point. Just 3 singles off that over!

Anshul Kamboj to Jacob Bethell, High on the bat but gets away with it, does Bethell! Kamboj bangs this one in on a hard length over middle and leg and gets it to hurry the batter. Bethell leans back to pull but miscues it uppishly and well wide of the square leg fielder for a single.

Anshul Kamboj to Virat Kohli, Off the mark right away! On a good length and in the channel, Kohli gets forward nicely and just punches it ball down in front of covers before easing across to the other end.

Anshul Kamboj to Jacob Bethell, Good call for the single. On a length, around off, Jacob pushes it slightly wide of mid off, to his right and calls Kohli through for a quick single, much to the cheers of the crowd.

Anshul Kamboj to Jacob Bethell, Full and straight, this time Bethell covers the line and movement, walks down a touch and defends it back down the track.

Anshul Kamboj to Jacob Bethell, Good start from Kamboj too. On a length, around middle and off, hint of nibble away, Jacob Bethell feels for the ball, probably aiming to guide it to deep third, but misses. Lack of footwork.

Wow. What a start for RCB. That too, against Khaleel Ahmed, who has been one of the best bowlers, not only for CSK, but overall in this season. Anshul Kamboj to share the new ball with Khaleel.

Khaleel Ahmed to Jacob Bethell, A single to end but 13 off the first over of the game! Good length around off, angling back in, Bethell looks to work it away but gets squared up and nudges it off the leading edge behind point for a single.

Khaleel Ahmed to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! Bethell is in a punishing mood! Overpitched from Khaleel this time, slightly outside off as well. This one doesn't swing and Jacob Bethell is able to just drive on the up, past point and to the left of Matheesha Pathirana at deep third this time to make it a hattrick of boundaries.

Khaleel Ahmed to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! A deft touch after some brute force and Bethell is up and running now. Back of a length and on a tight line around off, Jacob Bethell presses back and just guides it down past first slip and beats the deep third fielder to his right for another boundary.

Khaleel Ahmed to Jacob Bethell, FOUR! WALLOP! Bad ball, short and wide outside off, Jacob Bethell latches onto the room and slaps it through point for the first boundary of the game. Gets himself and the team up and running.

Khaleel Ahmed to Jacob Bethell, This one comes in off the deck, Bethell pushes it towards point.

Khaleel Ahmed to Jacob Bethell, Wow. What a start. A beauty if you are a new-ball bowler. You eat a banana for nutrition. And here, the very first ball has swung like a banana. Excellent landing of the delivery, targetting the angle with the lateral movement from over the wicket, targetting the middle stump, but full credit to Bethell too, as he defends it watchfully towards mid off.

The umpires make their way out to the middle. The Chennai team is done with its last-minute pep talk and spreads out onto the field. And now, to the loud cheers of the Chinnaswamy crowd, Virat Kohli strides out to the middle, followed by the much-acclaimed future of English cricket - Jacob Bethell. As usual, it will be the left-arm seam of Khaleel Ahmed to start things off, against the left-handed Bethell. Here we go...

The captain of RCB, Rajat Patidar, says that they would have fielded as well, but reckons that the pitch won't change much. Adds that everyone is in a good frame of mind. Further mentions that everyone has performed well and they will try their best in the remaining games. Informs that Lungi Ngidi comes in for Josh Hazlewood.

The captain of CSK, MS Dhoni, says that they want to make the most out of the last four remaining games and want to win games because that always helps. Adds that they will try to look into next year on which individual will fit into what role. On the surface, he says it looks a bit tacky as it has been under covers for most of the time, and also says it is a venue where scoring runs a bit easier. Mentions it is a high-scoring venue and after the initial start, he feels it will be good to bat on. Shares that it is important to express and play to the strengths, make a plan and look to execute. States that they will look how the wicket behaves and will take it forward. Concludes by saying they are going unchanged.

Impact Player options for CSK - Shivam Dube, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh.

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI) - Ayush Mhatre, Shaik Rasheed, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Deepak Hooda, MS Dhoni (C/WK), Anshul Kamboj (In for Shivam Dube), Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana.

Impact Player options for RCB - Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Liam Livingstone, Swapnil Singh.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI) - Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal (In for Suyash Sharma), Rajat Patidar (C), Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi (In for Josh Hazlewood), Yash Dayal.

TOSS - Chennai Super Kings win the coin flip and they will BOWL first

PITCH REPORT - Ian Bishop is accompanied by Shane Watson for the pitch analysis. Ian Bishop first shares a good news that the conditions overhead are clear, but also adds that there was a lot of rain over the past few days. Says that the pitch is at dead-center with equidistant dimensions of 64 meters at the squares, while the straight hit is 73 meters. Points that pitch number 7 has seen a couple of varying scores. Shane Watson joins him and says the pitch looks really nice and observes that it is quite dry with not much grass covering. Reckons that there won't be much tennis-ball bounce on it, and the ball might come a bit easier on the bat, and opines that the batters will be able to trust the bounce. Says the team batting first must put a big total on the board as it looks like a really good surface.

Right then, two teams playing for two different agendas but with the level of play being so high in IPL, no team is guaranteed a win. Also, there is some threat of rain, but let's hope that it stays away. Stay tuned as the toss and team sheets will be up in a bit.

It has been a forgetful season for CSK, and with them being out of the playoffs race, they might just be able to let loose and derail RCB's progress, just like RCB halted their progress to the playoffs last season in a thrilling fashion. CSK have had a few bright spots as well and they will take the positive signs that the youngsters have shown great promise whenever given a chance, but the big names will be hoping to finish the season on a high.

RCB have broken the duck at home after a bit of an early hiatus from a home win this season, they are now well and truly inside the top four. The team has really started to click and they will be hoping for another win to really solidify their claim for a playoffs berth.

Hello and welcome to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru where home side Royal Challengers Bengaluru go up against Chennai Super Kings in take 2 of the southern derby of IPL 2025. RCB reigned victorious at the Chepauk after an eternity but CSK will be out for revenge. It is always an intriguing contest when these two sides face each other and this one should be the same.

... MATCH DAY ...

Cricket's battlefield shifts to the electric Chinnaswamy Stadium, where two IPL titans prepare for a collision that promises fireworks beyond the scoreboard. As Royal Challengers Bengaluru host Chennai Super Kings in Match 52, we're set for another thrilling chapter in the Virat Kohli-MS Dhoni saga, a rivalry that continues to captivate cricket lovers everywhere. When these giants first clashed this season, both teams were riding the high of opening victories. Since then? It's been a tale of dramatically different journeys. RCB stunned Chennai at their fortress Chepauk, but what followed was a frustrating pattern of inconsistency – win, loss, win, loss – a rollercoaster that kept them from building momentum despite flashes of brilliance. But just when critics wondered if they'd ever find consistency, RCB has exploded with three consecutive victories, propelling them into serious playoff contention with a real shot at the coveted top-two finish. Their dominant run now has them perched in the upper echelons of the table, showcasing the kind of form that makes opposition teams nervous. Virat Kohli has been the batting linchpin, crafting six masterful half-centuries and standing tall as the only RCB batter to cross the 400-run milestone. His consistency has him rubbing shoulders with the season's elite run-scorers. The numbers tell a revealing story – beyond Kohli, Phil Salt and Devdutt Padikkal haven't even reached 300 runs, yet RCB keeps winning. Their recipe? A top-order that absorbs pressure, Tim David's brute finishing blows, and Krunal Pandya's clutch all-round performances that repeatedly tip the scales. But RCB's true transformation this season lies in their bowling attack. The international pace duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood has intimidated the batting orders, helping claim the second-most powerplay wickets in the tournament. Hazlewood's brilliance has earned him the prestigious Purple Cap. When batters dare to breathe easier against pace, the spin tandem of Krunal and Suyash Sharma springs the trap, creating a bowling unit with seemingly no weak links to exploit. Across the field, Chennai Super Kings find themselves in unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. With a dismal record of eight defeats and just a couple of wins, they're one of just two teams already mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, marking only the second time in IPL history they've missed consecutive playoffs. Their maximum possible points tally of 12 falls well short of the qualification threshold, making this one of the earliest exits since Pune Warriors India's 2013 campaign. CSK's struggles begin in the powerplay, where they average a tournament-worst 7.91 runs while losing more wickets than any rival – a fatal combination that has repeatedly extinguished momentum before it could build. The batting unit has lacked both consistency and intent, with even MS Dhoni's usually reliable finishing touches failing to spark conviction. Yet even in this challenging season, CSK shows glimpses of their strategic vision. Young talents Shaik Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre are getting valuable exposure, while Dewald Brevis has brought much-needed boundary-clearing explosiveness. The bowling offers some consolation as Khaleel Ahmed strikes consistently with the new ball, while Noor Ahmad's wizardry has him among the tournament's top five wicket-takers. However, it's important to finish and bowl well in the death overs, which isn't coming for them. Their reliance on Matheesha Pathirana for the death bowling has proved too costly as the Sri Lankan slingy seamer has leaked runs at a worrisome economy rate. This is also one of the many reasons why they have lost games while doing both, defending and chasing. What makes this contest particularly intriguing is RCB's puzzling home record, with just one win against four losses at the usually formidable Chinnaswamy Stadium. Can they overcome this strange home disadvantage against a wounded CSK side with nothing to lose but pride? When these cricket royalties clash under Bengaluru's lights, expect nothing less than a spectacle where a vision for the future meets determination. Will RCB continue their march toward glory, or will Dhoni's men remind everyone why, even in defeat, champions never truly lose their roar? But, forecasts predict that this generational clash might get rain interruptions as the weather in Bengaluru has been a bit overcast over a couple of days. But, hopes are of a complete game of cricket. Brace yourselves, as the Garden City braces for cricket theater at its finest!