The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have knocked the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) out of the 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2024, with a 27-run victory. The 2016-runners made their way to their ninth playoffs, while CSK failed to qualify for their 13th playoffs in 15 seasons.
With a low run rate the Bengaluru side needed to get better off the Super Kings by 18 runs or more, and restricting the defending champions for 191/7 in their 20 overs in the 218-run chase did the trick for them.
The Super Kings needed 17 runs for the qualification going into the very last over of the game, as MS Dhoni nailed the very first ball of the over out of the ground for a six, against Yash Dayal. The left-arm pacer, however, made a great comeback on the very next delivery as he sent back Dhoni to the dugout.
Chennai fell short by 27 runs against Bengaluru
Put into bat first, both the RCB openers, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis went off to a flying start with 31/0 in the first three overs, before the rain stopped action for 40-odd minutes. After their return to the ground, the ball was gripping the surface.
Runs scoring became quite tough as both Kohli and du Plessis were struggling to find the boundaries against the CSK spinners- Maheesh Theekshana and Mitchell Santner. However, Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t find the right length on the track as Kohli belted him for a few aggressive shots.
Santer finally dismissed Kohli for 47 runs in 29 balls, while Faf celebrated his fifty and ended with 54 runs in 39 balls. Rajat Patidar played a sensational knock of 41 runs in 23 balls, while Cameron Green (38*), Dinesh Kartik (14), and Glenn Maxwell (16*) firing small knocks helped them to 218/5 in their 20 overs, as 105 runs came in the last seven overs.
CSK lost their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad on the very first ball before Ajinkya Rahane and Rachin Ravindra put up a recovering 66-run partnership for the third wicket. Shivam Dube couldn’t find the middle of his bat for his 15-ball seven runs. Ravindra was sent back on 61 in 37 balls.
Ravindra Jadeja tried his best but couldn’t take them over the line with his unbeaten 42 runs in 22 balls.
‘He isn’t able to digest that RCB knocked out CSK’- Varun Aaron
Even 12 hours after the end of the game, the craze is yet to get over. While speaking with Star Sports, the former Indian and CSK batter Ambati Rayudu believes that RCB should win the final in this IPL to end their 16-year-long wait.
‘RCB should win the IPL. We saw what was the reaction in the streets of Bengaluru.’ The former CSK batter Ambati Rayudu expressed in the chat. ‘In fact, CSK should give one of their trophies to RCB so they can parade it.’
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Rayudu has been part of the ‘Yellow Army’ for six seasons, starting in 2018. In the very first season for CSK, he played a huge role with 602 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of close to 150.
However, in Rayudu’s comments, Varun Aaron, the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru, was quick to reply.
‘He (Rayudu) is just not able to digest the fact that RCB knocked out CSK.’ Varun Aaron replied back with a smile on his face.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will now take on either Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) or Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the ‘Eliminator’ on May 22 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.