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The match between RCB and CSK was a must-win game for both teams but it was more important for the former as they needed to win in 18.1 overs or by 18 runs in order to book a place in the playoff and the team in red did just that by defeating the team in yellow by 27 runs.
Choosing to bowl first after winning the toss CSK got off to a shaky start as the duo of Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli gave RCB an attacking start by scoring 31 runs in the first three overs before the match was intercepted by rain.
The Resumption
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Surprisingly the ball started to turn square on what was looking like a batting paradise before the rain stoppage. The batters visibly struggled against the changed nature of the pitch. Having said that Virat Kohli soon found his groove back and started taking on the CSK spinners. The right-hander was also severe on any loose balls bowled by the fast bowlers as well and batted with a strike rate of over 160 before getting out after playing an attacking inning of 47 runs in 29 balls.
A Captain’s Knock
Faf who was playing the anchor’s role at the other end started attacking as soon as Kohli was dismissed and notched up a quickfire half-century before being dismissed. Faf’s wicket gave CSK a chance to make a comeback in the game but the duo of Rajat Patidar and Cameron Green capitalized on the solid platform that was given to the team by both the openers and stitched a valuable 100-run partnership for the third wicket. The duo was well supported by Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell both of whom played important cameos lower down the order which propelled RCB’s score to 218/6 at the end of 20 overs.
The Chase
RCB needed to restrict CSK to a score of 200 runs or less in order to qualify for the playoffs. Chasing technically 201 runs to qualify CSK lost Ruturaj Gaikwad on the first ball of the innings as the right-hander hit a short ball from Maxwell straight to Yash Dayal who took a well-judged catch which was followed by the wicket of Daryl Mitchell who was foxed by a slower delivery from Yash Dayal giving him his first wicket of the match.
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The Recovery
Ajinkya Rahane who joined Rachin Ravindra after the fall of CSK’s second wicket notched up a much needed 50 run partnership with the left-hander who scored an attacking half-century before getting run out right after Rahane was foxed by a slower delivery from Lockie Ferguson. The double strike gave RCB a chance to come back in the match and the team did just that as Cameron Green dismissed hard-hitting batter Shivam Dube after he was dropped by Siraj in the previous over.
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The Partnership
Santner who replaced Moeen Ali in the playing XI also couldn’t contribute much with the bat as was dismissed courtesy of a magnificent catch by Faf du Plessis as fans in the stadium erupted with joy in anticipation of their team doing the unthinkable. But MS Dhoni who walked in at number eight stitched an attacking partnership with Ravindra Jadeja who was targeting the first ball of the death overs. The duo brought CSK within touching distance of qualifying with 11 needed off the last five balls but Yash Dayal who was hit for a six on the first ball of the last over had other ideas. The pacer kept his calm and picked up the crucial wicket of MS Dhoni which proved to be the turning point of the match as RCB registered a memorable win by 27 runs.
