RCB fans would be over the moon after defeating CSK twice in the same edition. RCB defended the target of 214 and won the match by a mere 2 runs. There were quite a similarities in RCB vs CSK 2024 game at Bengaluru and this one as in both cases, Yash Dayal spoiled the party of CSK. In the 2024 match, CSK needed 17 runs to qualify for playoffs and this time the scenario was 15 and yet RCB won.
CSK fans would be shocked as they have lost 4 back-to-back games. The 2025 edition is proving to be forgettable for the fans and CSK team as well. There were positives for CSK in the form of Ayush Mhatre who dismantled RCB’s bowling attack by smashing a breath-taking 94 runs knock in 48 balls and struck 9 fours and 5 sixes but that wasn’t sufficient to take CSK over the finish line.
Virat Kohli’s brisk start & Romario Shepherd’s late flourish puts a huge score
RCB showed faith again in Jacob Bethell, as against DC he got out cheaply at 12 runs. CSK had opted to bowl first, given that the surface was quite a batting paradise. RCB were without Josh Hazlewood who had a shoulder niggle which made RCB’s bowling attack a bit fragile.
Jacob Bethell & Virat Kohli smacked the bowlers all around the park. In the very first over, Bethell was quite ultra-aggressive in which he struck 3 back-to-back fours. Virta & Bethell made sure that they didn’t play a string of dot balls as the pitch didn’t have that many demons in it.
In the 4th over, there was a nasty collision between Matheesha Pathirana & Ravindra Jadeja as both went for the catch. Jacob Bethell got a life on 27 and RCB’s score at 3.5 overs was 41 if the catch was taken but it was 42 for the loss of no wickets. Pathirana looked in severe pain and later he was taken off the field.
The onslaught continued of RCB openers who hammered 71 runs in powerplay overs. Pathirana later though took his revenge of the missed catch by getting rid of Bethell in 10th over as Brevis pulled off a stunner at square leg. Bethell, though did a lot of damage before getting out as he scored 55 runs in 33 balls and struck 8 fours and 2 sixes. He along with Virat stretched a 97 runs opening partnership in 9.5 overs.
CSK somewhat got the self belief back that they can turn the things around. CSK’s eclectic all-rounder Sam Curran got the big fish ‘Virat Kohli’ in 12th over as a deceptive pace off delivery foxed him. Virat’s dismissal gave a sigh of relief but the knock of 62 runs was quite attacking as he struck 5 fours and 5 sixes in his 33 balls and his running between the wickets was quite remarkable.
CSK crawled back in the game as in 12 overs the score was 122-2. The skipper Rajat Patidar & Jitesh Sharma along with Devdutt Padikkal couldn’t capitalize on the great platform set by Virat & Bethell. Noor Ahmad along with Matheesha Pathirana applied brakes to RCB’s pinch hitting as RCB’s score ta 18 overs was 159-5.
Tim David & Romario Shepherd needed to end on a high note but both of them had played only 2 deliveries each. Shepherd went into boundary hitting mode in 19th & 20th over when he clobbered the ball to all parts of the ground as Khaleel & Pathirana were clueless as the off cutters were also getting dispatched in stands. There was breath-taking hitting by Shepherd in the last 2 overs as he not only took past RCB’s score to 213-5 but he struck a half century in 14 balls. Tim David was quite happy to see brutal hitting from other end which was fascinating.
Ayush Mhatre’s knock in vain as RCB pull off a robbery
Target of 214 wasn’t going to be a cakewalk given the inexperience at the top of the order. Ayush Mhatre, along with Shaik Rasheed, the two newbies in IPL had an arduous task in front of them. Rasheed & Mhatre got their eye in and the absence of Hazlewood was somewhat a huge relief in the match.
Ayush Mhatre went all guns blazing in the 4th over when he scored 26 runs in Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s over. It was quite enthralling to watch that how a 17 year old batter was making a fun of a world-class batters as the shots were quite straight down the ground. Bhuvneshwar Kumar tried short ball ploy as Ayush Mhatre was deep into the crease ready to play pull shots in stands.
The game though changes quite completely as CSK lost Shaik Rasheed & Sam Curran in next 2 overs. There were expectations from Sam Curran as in previous match, he had scored 88 runs against SRH and looked ominous. Lungi Ngidi duped Curran as he miscued a pull shot and CSK’s sore at 6 overs was 58-2, the required run rate was well over 10.
CSK required a herculean of an effort to win the match. Ayush Mhatre & Ravindra Jadeja were constantly interacting and having a word with each other as slowly & steadily the duo rotated the strike on a regular basis. The right hand-left hand combination was irking RCB’s bowlers and Jadeja took on Suyash Sharma in 11th over and all of a sudden CSK’s score was 121-2 after scoring 15 runs in that over and needed another 93 runs to win from 9 overs which was an achievable target.
Ayush Mhatre was in zone, the way he was hitting the ball out of park was quite commendable. Ravindra Jadeja played the role of an anchor in the partnership as CSK was in very well good position at 15 overs with needing another 52 runs to win with 8 wickets in hand. It was somewhat undoubtedly CSK’s game but what happened next was mind boggling.
RCB’s fielding through-out the match was quite sloppy, they dropped multiple catches, couldn’t convert half of the chances, which was hard to believe for fans. Lungi Ngidi was bowling 17th over with RCB needing 43 to win from 4 overs. Ngidi took 2 back to back wickets pf Ayush Mhatre & Dewald Brevis.
Brevis’ dismissal was quite controversial and confusing as DRS timer was not displayed on screen and he didn’t watch the umpire & was taking singles & doubles when he gave out to LBW appeal & had no choice but to go as Umpire said your time is over. After all, it’s often said, umpire decision is final decision.
CSK needed 35 to win from 3 overs and Jadeja & MS Dhoni were at crease. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar gave the ball to Suyash Sharma for 18th over. CSK fans would be wondering why Jadeja & Dhoni didn’t took ample risks in that over as only 6 runs were scored in that over. Undoubtedly, there most likely would be a plan between the duo to take the game deep somewhat but CSK needed 29 from last 2 overs which was a risky scenario to complete and cross the finish line.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar reminded the world cricket in 19th over by nailing the perfect yorkers. RCB pacer conceded 14 runs in that over but he conceded 4 singles which was a key factor. MS Dhoni tried to unleash his helicopter shot by being in deep crease but that didn’t yield results.
CSK needed 15 runs to win the match and Yash Dayal was bowling the 20th over. The first two balls were singles and Dhoni on 3rd ball couldn’t connect a yorker for a boundary and he was given LBW out. It seemed MS Dhoni had come to continue right hand-left hand combination but his knock of 12 runs in 8 balls didn’t help the team that much.
The impact player Shivam Dube came in to bat when CSK needed 13 runs from 3 balls. It was quite next to impossible for an impact player to win the game on such a 11th hour. The drama didn’t stop then, Shivam Dube dispatched the ball to deep mid wicket and the waist no ball wasn’t given by square leg umpire and later after taking DRS, it was over-turned
CSK needed 6 to win from 3 balls, one huge hit to break hearts of RCB fans. Yash Dayal though pretty calmly nailed perfect yorkers in the very next 3 balls and RCB won by 2 runs. Ravindra Jadeja & Shivam Dube one of them needed to step down the track to convert the yorker to full toss & smash it for the boundary as RCB continued their dominance over CSK as they won both the matches in IPL 2025 edition.
What lies ahead for RCB & CSK
RCB would be ecstatic after such a remarkable performance. Leaving aside the controversial decisions by umpires during CSK’s batting, the death overs bowling was incredible. In the absence of Josh Hazlewood, RCB showed that they can not only win but snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
RCB are now at the top of the points table with 16 points in 11 matches with NRR of +0.482 as in IPL till now, no team has not qualified after having 16 points to their name, and we can say RCB have almost booked a berth for them in playoffs unless something drastic and unrealistic happens.
CSK, on the other hand, would be in shock given not how they lost the game but how they made a mess out of it. Ravindra Jadeja played a gem of an unbeaten knock of 77 runs in 45 balls (8 fours and 2 sixes), but that doesn’t hold much importance given already CSK is already having a forgettable tournament. The death bowling of CSK wasn’t good, but Ayush Mhatre’s 94 runs in 48 balls (*9 fours and 5 sixes) made it up for that, but still it’s quite tough to understand how CSK lost the plot and unknowingly or knowingly the match got relinquished.
It is often said that CSK is MS Dhoni, and MS Dhoni is CSK. The brand and everything revolves around MS Dhoni, and so it is with Virat Kohli for RCB. CSK are at the bottom of the points table with 2 wins from 11 matches, and who knows, after the next 3 matches, we might see an announcement of MS Dhoni and CSK, but there can be seen a light at the end of tunnel for CSK.
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