RCB captain Rajat Patidar’s bad luck with the toss continued, as MS Dhoni won the toss and invited them to bat first. Phil Salt’s replacement, Jacob Bethell, looked impressive as he struck three boundaries in Khaleel Ahmed’s over. He and Virat Kohli had a good partnership, scoring 71 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket.
Although Bethell was the aggressor in the partnership, things changed after he scored his fifty and got out. King Kohli accelerated at the right time and completed his half-century in just under 30 balls. RCB were cruising towards a huge total at the 12-over mark, with 121 runs already on the board. However, CSK made a comeback after his dismissal.
Captain Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal suddenly struggled to time the ball, and the run rate kept decreasing. Matheesha Pathirana became a hero for CSK as he removed both of them. The five-time champions did an excellent job, restricting RCB to 157 runs by the end of the 18th over. However, Romario Shepherd smashed the second-fastest fifty ever and helped RCB post a total of 213.
For CSK to win, they had to break their own record for the highest successful chase in IPL history. The chase started brightly, especially with young Ayush Mhatre taking on the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar, smashing 26 runs in a single over. The two-time Purple Cap winner had an off day, conceding 55 runs in his four overs.
The match looked firmly in CSK’s control, with Mhatre eyeing his maiden century and Ravindra Jadeja well set at the other end. But things turned dramatically when Lungi Ngidi, playing in place of Josh Hazlewood, took two wickets in an over. Yash Dayal then sealed the game for RCB, defending 15 runs in the final over against Dhoni, Jadeja, and Shivam Dube—despite bowling a no-ball. In the end, RCB held their nerve to win by just 2 runs and climbed to the top of the points table.
Fans react to RCB’s double over CSK for the first time in IPL history
Fans thoroughly enjoyed the roller-coaster match between CSK and RCB. While some blamed the poor decisions made by the umpires and called the match ‘fixed,’ others simply celebrated the three-time finalists’ win and were happy to see their team at the top of the points table.
One fan was angry over CSK’s loss and labeled RCB as cheaters. Another frustrated fan stated that the Super Kings should be relegated to the domestic league, SMAT. Many fans believed that CSK was ruining its own legacy by losing consistently. Here are some of the top fan reactions:
One user blamed it all on Dhoni, saying he couldn’t finish the match from a favorable position. Another user stated that Dayal had become a nightmare for the Super Kings. Many fans felt that Shepherd was the main reason for RCB’s win. RCB supporters even started to believe that the IPL trophy was theirs this season.