Top Three performances: CSK vs RCB

In a marathon league like the IPL, there will be days when even the best stumbles and there will be days when the unexpected unfolds in a majestic flash of brilliance.

On one such day an in-form RCB slumped to the Chennai Super Kings who wreaked absolute havoc with the bat, leaving the Challengers to fend for themselves with a wasteland of scraps reigning supreme.

Of course, there will be a boatload of lessons to learn for the entire team but with the courage that the tail-end of the batting displayed, here are the top three performances of the night for the Challengers.

1. Suyash Prabhudessai

 The debutant for RCB made his presence felt in the loudest of echoes as he was simply electric in the field that saw him conjuring a magnificent enterprise leaving Moeen Ali flabbergasted as DK completed a brilliant run-out. He covered a lot of ground to pull off decent fielding efforts that would make the others take notice. With the bat, he was simply a treat for the sore eyes of the RCB fans. Coming out to bat at number 6 with the scoreline reading 50 for the loss of 4, he was fearless in his pursuit of brilliance that saw him slamming around a slew of brilliant strokes, stitching together a hope of a comeback that starred 34 runs off just 18 balls, which eventually didn’t see the light of the day but was resolute, to say the least.

 2. Shahbaz Ahmed

 This youngster has been a livewire for the RCB batting line up as he has been in exemplary form throughout the tournament. More importantly, if you would take a microscopic look at his knocks, all of them have come under the cosh and they have been quite defining ones. Probably the runs on the card were just too many for the Bengal all-rounder to cover but the grit and gumption that this youngster has shown at the face of daunting bowlers and ineluctable ordeals has been top-notch. On a night of desperation, Shahbaz batted brilliantly to conjure 41 off 27.

 3. Dinesh Karthik

 Dinesh Karthik has been in electric form as he pulled off another tempestuous knock, derailing the Chennai bowlers despite falling short of partners at the other end. He blasted a full-blown carnage that saw him racking up 34 off just 14 balls, almost single-handedly bringing the equation under control that seemed implausible at one point in time. He whacked three gigantic maximums, once again underlining his priceless presence in the side.