What a match it was! With some intensity, some incredible performance, and a perfect team game, the Bengaluru crowd witnessed one of the best performances of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in this season. The RCB vs CSK match was crucial as the fourth place of the points table depended on this clash. Royal Challengers Bengaluru nailed the game with a 27-run win and secured their place in the playoff. That win brought a big change in the points table.
RCB’s Incredible Batting and Chennai’s Bowling Performance:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced Chennai Super Kings in their last group-stage game, crucial for playoff qualification. Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and chose to bowl first. Despite a strong start by Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, CSK struggled initially. They got their first breakthrough in the 10th over with Mitchell Santner dismissing Kohli. Santner also made an impressive run out of du Plessis in the 13th over. Shardul Thakur took two crucial wickets, including Rajat Patidar and Dinesh Karthik. Santner and Tushar Deshpande took one wicket each.
RCB put on a strong batting display despite rain interruptions. Kohli scored 47 runs off 29 balls, and du Plessis hit an excellent 54 runs off 39 balls. Rajat Patidar contributed 41 runs in 23 balls, while Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell added quick runs. Cameron Green remained unbeaten with 38 runs in 17 balls, helping RCB reach 218/5 in 20 overs.
Chennai’s Batting Struggle and RCB’s Dominance:
The match was crucial for both teams. Chennai Super Kings batted second and faced an early setback with the loss of Ruturaj Gaikwad’s wicket. Daryl Mitchell soon followed, scoring only 4 runs. Rachin Ravindra gave CSK hope with a crucial 61 runs off 37 balls, while Ajiyanka Rahane added 33 runs in 22 balls. Despite good efforts from Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 42 runs off 22 balls, and MS Dhoni with 25 runs off 13 balls, CSK fell short, losing key wickets at critical moments.
RCB’s bowlers performed brilliantly, with Glenn Maxwell dismissing Gaikwad on the first delivery and Yash Dayal taking two wickets for 42 runs. Mohammed Siraj, Lockie Ferguson, Cameron Green, and Maxwell each took a wicket, stopping CSK at 191 runs. RCB secured a 27-run victory and a spot in the playoffs, delighting the Bengaluru crowd with an outstanding performance.
The Changes in the Points Table:
The match was a crucial one and Royal Challengers Bengaluru snatched the game from Chennai Super Kings. With that 27-run win, Royal Challengers Bengaluru jumped into the fourth spot and made room in the playoffs. On the other hand, CSK slipped into the fifth spot of the tournament and was eliminated from the playoff race.
| Rank | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Points | NRR |
| 1. | Kolkata Knight Riders | 13 | 9 | 3 | 19 | +1.428 |
| 2. | Rajasthan Royals | 13 | 8 | 4 | 16 | +0.273 |
| 3. | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 13 | 7 | 5 | 15 | +0.406 |
| 4. | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | +0.459 |
| 5. | Chennai Super Kings | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | +0.392 |
| 6. | Delhi Capitals | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | -0.377 |
| 7. | Lucknow Super Giants | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | -0.667 |
| 8. | Gujarat Titans | 14 | 5 | 7 | 12 | -1.063 |
| 9. | Punjab Kings | 13 | 5 | 8 | 10 | -0.347 |
| 10. | Mumbai Indians | 14 | 4 | 10 | 8 | -0.318 |
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