Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) sealed their qualification for the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs with a dramatic 27-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. It all came down to the last over with CSK needing 17 to secure their qualification for the playoffs. Yash Dayal ran in and bowled a full toss first ball and MS Dhoni swung hard to smash it out of the ground over fine-leg for a 110m six. The second ball pitched and was slower, Dhoni tried to hit it over square-leg but he only got the elevation as the fielder in the deep took a comfortable catch. 

Shardul Thakur missed the next ball, which was short and slow. He then got an outside edge for a single to short third man, leaving Ravindra Jadeja with 10 to get off the last two and repeat his heroics of the 2023 final. Dayal held his nerve and bowled two good slower deliveries to deny CSK and Jadeja and take RCB into the playoffs. It was fitting that these two rivals played such a great game on a day when their fate in the tournament hung in the balance. 

In a virtual knockout, CSK won the toss and chose to bowl first. This established the equation that whatever score RCB gets, they will need to win by 18 runs. The Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch has traditionally produced big scores and today was no different. Although there was a phase during RCB’s innings when it looked like getting 200 may not be that easy. 

To begin with, RCB got into the act with Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis taking the attack in the early overs. One of the shots that stood out was a flick by Kohli as he made the charge to Tushar Deshpande and hit it over mid-wicket for a six. At the end of three overs, RCB were 31 for three when the heavens opened up. Rain forced a short break in proceedings, and fortunately for all cricket lovers, it was a passing shower and play got underway without the loss of any overs. 

Two lavish strokes to take your mind away from the rain delay 😉

Virat Kohli gets the Chinnaswamy crowd going 🔥

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The conditions suddenly seemed tougher for batting post resumption. CSK introduced their spinners as the ball showed signs of grip and turn. In the two overs after resumption, RCB managed only six runs – with the ball turning and beating the batters a few times. Du Plessis broke the shackles in the last over of the powerplay when he hit one down the ground off Mahesh Theekshana. Kohli too found that energy as Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner continued the spin challenge post the powerplay. Kohli smashed Jadeja over mid-wicket for a six in the ninth over. When Santner came on for the 10th, he hit another one for six over mid-wicket. However, off the next ball, he was caught at long-on by Daryl Mitchell – who showed good awareness to keep the ball in play. 

Du Plessis then got into the act and smashed two sixes and a four off Jadeja to get to his half-century. Rajat Patidar, one of RCB’s in-form batters also got into the act with a six early in his innings off Theekshana. However, du Plessis was dismissed for 54 when a drive by Patidar took Santner’s hand in his follow-through and hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end. At 113 for three in the 13 overs, RCB needed a serious charge in the slog overs. 

𝘾𝙇𝙐𝘽𝘽𝙀𝘿!

Rajat Patidar departs not before scoring a quick-fire 41 off just 23 👏👏

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Then came the partnership that propelled RCB to over 200. Patidar and Cameron Green added 71 in only 28 balls in an exhibition of some attacking batting. In the last seven overs, only one went under 13. That was the kind of impact the partnership had. Patidar got 41 off 23 balls and Green remained unbeaten on 38 off 17 balls. Short cameos from Dinesh Karthik (14 off six balls) and Glenn Maxwell (16 off five balls) helped RCB go past 200. They got to 218 – which meant CSK needed to get 201 to qualify. 

An inventive and explosive finish from @RCBTweets add belief for the home side!

Dinesh Karthik 🤝 Glenn Maxwell

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CSK’s pursuit got off to a dramatic start when Ruturaj Gaikwad hit the first ball to short fine-leg and was caught by Yash Dayal. Glenn Maxwell was brought in to bowl the first over considering what happened during RCB’s innings. The initial overs were not easy for the batters. CSK lost their second wicket in the third over when Dayal got Mitchell to edge one to mid-off. At 19 for two, CSK were in trouble. 

Rachin Ravindra and Ajinkya Rahane started the job of trying to resurrect the CSK innings. It was an important partnership that mixed caution with aggression – adding 66 off 41 balls. Both found boundaries at regular intervals to ensure the required rate did not go too far out of hand. The partnership moved at a fairly even keel as they shared the workload of scoring the runs. They moved to 85 for two in nine overs, when Lockie Ferguson was introduced. Off the first ball, Rahane hit one high in the air and was caught by du Plessis for 33. 

Huge breakthrough!

The skipper takes a solid catch to back up his bowler 👊

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his was RCB’s chance to open the door and they added to the pressure in the next few overs by putting a stop on the boundaries. The 12th over saw CSK relieve the pressure a touch when Ravindra hit a four and two sixes, which helped him get to his half-century. 

In the overs that followed, the drama intensified. To begin with, Shivam Dube was dropped by Mohammad Siraj at long-on in the 13th over. However, it did not hurt RCB as Ravindra was soon run-out in a mix-up with Dube for 61. Dube’s struggle ended in the next over when he hit Ferguson to long-on. The pressure on CSK mounted further as Santner tried to go over mid-off in the 15th over and du Plessis flew across to his right and took a brilliant one-hander over his head. 

Rachin Ravindra ☝️
Shivam Dube ☝️

The hosts are back in this and HOW! 🔥🔥

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Considering the target to qualify, CSK needed 71 off the last five overs when MS Dhoni walked in to join Jadeja. When the time-out was taken, it left CSK with 63 off the last four. Jadeja signalled his intentions soon after when he hit the first ball for six down the ground. CSK made good strides to their required total with 13 and 15 runs off the two overs after the time-out. It was mainly Jadeja who took on the responsibility of taking the attack to the bowlers as Siraj was hit for a six and four. 

Nail-biting overs like these 📈

Describe your final over emotions with an emoji 🔽

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When Ferguson came on for the penultimate over, CSK needed 35. He bowled a beamer to begin with. Later, Jadeja and Dhoni picked a four apiece. Jadeja ended the over with a six off the last ball over mid-wicket for a six – setting up that thrilling finish.