CSK pip RCB to the finish line in a high-octane thriller at Chinnaswamy

It was a game of the finest order as two rivals from the South duked it out till the final two balls of the contest, only for Chennai Super Kings to bag the bragging rights, pipping Royal Challengers Bangalore in a nail-biting finish in the 24th match of IPL 2023. 

In a high-octane encounter where the bowlers had nowhere to run for cover, CSK proved to be superlative despite a gritty showdown from Faf du Plessis and co.

On winning the toss, du Plessis opted to field but on a deadbeat surface where 200 seemed very gettable, Chennai got off to a rollicking start. Albeit the early fall of Ruturaj Gaikwad (3), Devon Conway (83) and Ajinkya Rahane (37) were on top of their game, condemning the RCB bowlers frequently to the ropes.

Wanindu Hasaranga (1/21) did manage to provide a crucial breakthrough in the form of Rahane’s scalp but that didn’t stop CSK. Things continued in a similar fashion as the Chennai batters had no intentions of relenting despite a flurry of wickets falling in between. Riding high on the partnership between Ravindra Jadeja (10) and Moeen Ali (19*) who would put on a late blitz, CSK registered 226 on the scoreboard. 

Coming out to bat, RCB were dealt some early blows as Virat Kohli (6) and Mahipal Lomror (0) departed in quick succession, leaving an uphill task for the rest of the batsmen. However, with two fine strikers of the cherry in the centre in du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell, RCB fought back well.

The counter-attack launched by Maxwell (76) and Faf (62) instilled a lot of hope among RCB fans as the duo put on a partnership of 126 runs for the third wicket, before the latter departed for a well-constructed 76 that came from just 36 balls.

A surprise promotion for Shahbaz Ahamad (12) didn’t really promote RCB’s cause, but impressive knocks from Dinesh Karthik (28) and impact player Suyash Prabhudessai (19) helped RCB get a lot closer to the target in the end, only to fall short by 8 runs.