RCB vs CSK: CSK survive Glenn Maxwell-Faf du Plessis scare to win high-octane match

Chennai Super Kings won a high-scoring thriller against Royal Challengers Bangalore after their bowlers held their nerves and defended 226.

Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis were involved in a record-breaking partnership but MS Dhoni kept his cool as usual and his bowlers delivered an 8-run win at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday.

Chennai Super Kings climbed to No.3 in the points table after their stunning win over RCB. Their victory was scripted by Devon Conway, Shivam Dube and Ajinkya Rahane with the bat before Tushar Deshpande and Matheesha Pathirana picked 5 wickets between them to dent the RCB run chase.

Chasing 227, RCB were jolted in the first over when CSK Impact Player Akash Singh dismissed Virat Kohli for 6. Mahipal Lomror was sent in at No.3 but he was removed by Tushar Deshpande for a duck. That was before Glenn Maxwell joined Faf du Plessis and entertained the home crowd with a range of stunning shots.

By the end of the Powerplay, RCB were 75 for 2! It was a phenomenal fightback. du Plessis and Maxwell were brutal on a batting paradise. Maheesh Theekshana was taken for 14 runs off his first over after Akash and Deshpande were hammered all around the ground. It would have needed a special effort to stop the dangerous RCB duo who had settled in nicely by the time Ravindra Jadeja came into the attack in the 7th over.

Faf du Plessis smashed his half-century off 23 balls and at the other end, Glenn Maxwell matched his captain shot-for-shot. RCB have a tailormade team for these conditions and on Monday they showed why they could be almost invincible at home. Despite Virat Kohli’s early exit, two of their most senior pros fought back in the most magical way.

Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell posted the highest-ever 3rd wicket partnership for RCB in the IPL before the pair was separated when Maheesh Theekshana removed Maxwell for a 36-ball 76. It was a flat pitch but the duo’s efforts were mind-blowing nevertheless – they added 126 runs in 10.1 overs to give RCB a real chance and CSK a real scare.

Soon after Glenn Maxwell’s departure, Faf du Plessis fell to Moeen Ali and the onus was on Shahbaz Ahmed and Dinesh Karthik. With four overs left, RCB needed 46 runs to win a high-octane clash.

Dinesh Karthik who had scores of 0, 9, 1 not out and 0 before Monday, smashed 28 off 14 against CSK to bring the equation down to 36 off 19 balls by the time he became Tushar Deshpande’s second wicket of the match. The pressure was back on RCB when Matheesha Pathirana dismissed Shahbaz Ahmed.

Suyash Prabhudessai and Wayne Parnell, two new men in at the crease, needed to get 31 off 2 overs. Tushar Deshpande added to his wickets tally by removing Parnell in the penultimate over and the match was still wide open at that stage. However, RCB lost their way towards the end of their chase and fell agonisingly short of what could have been a record run-chase.

CARNAGE FROM RAHANE, DUBE AND CONWAY
Mohammed Siraj delivered a stunning first spell after Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and chose to bowl. Siraj was almost unplayable in an opening spell of 2 overs as he dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad for 3. And as importantly, Siraj gave away only 6 runs off those 2 overs.

However, Wayne Parnell and Vijaykumar Vyshak could not match Siraj’s skills and the runs started flowing easily for Chennai Super Kings. Devon Conway was superb at the start but Ajinkya Rahane stole the show again with a 20-ball 37. It has been a stunning reformation for Rahane. Last season, he had a strike-rate of 103.91 and this year, he is striking at 198.46 after starting off with a sensational half-century against Mumbai Indians.

Wanindu Hasaranga ended the Rahane carnage before Conway took over to keep the Super Kings in the hunt for a big total on a great batting pitch against a dangerous batting line-up. Conway found a great partner in Shivam Dube. The two added 80 for the 3rd wicket in a little over six overs. Faf du Plessis tried everything he could as a captain but it was impossible to stop the runs on a flat pitch at a small ground.

Devon Conway looked set to become the second New Zealand batter to score an IPL hundred but he fell to Harshal Patel for 83. Soon after, Shivam Dube who had smashed 93 against RCB in 2022, departed for a rapid 52 to leave the stage to Ambati Rayudu and Moeen Ali. Both men played their part as Chennai Super Kings raced away to their highest total against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.

There was high drama in the final over as Harshal Patel was taken off the bowling attack after bowling two waist-high no-balls. Ravindra Jadeja who struggled to connect the ball hit Glenn Maxwell for a six before MS Dhoni walked in to loud cheers – his single meant MS Dhoni is now the joint leading run-scorer against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.