Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally ended their long-standing Chennai curse in emphatic fashion, thrashing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 50 runs — their biggest home defeat in IPL history. It was RCB’s first victory at Chepauk since the inaugural IPL season. After the early fall of wickets for CSK, most of the match was about the yellow army waiting for MS Dhoni to bat?
By the time Dhoni walked in at number 9 — only the second time in his career — it was all but over. CSK’s chase never took off, crumbling under a disciplined RCB bowling attack led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, who exploited the conditions brilliantly. The duo combined for figures of 7-0-41-4, exposing CSK’s struggles against seam and swing.
RCB batters set the tone
Before the bowlers worked their magic, RCB’s batters had already put up a strong total on a tricky pitch. Rajat Patidar was the star, scoring a fluent 51 off 32 balls, capitalising on a dropped catch early in his innings. The intent was clear from the outset, with RCB countering CSK’s spin-heavy attack aggressively.
While CSK’s Khaleel Ahmed extracted movement and bounce, their spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, were ineffective, leaking 59 runs in just five overs. Jitesh Sharma added to the momentum, playing a stunning inside-out drive for six off Noor Ahmad. Patidar followed up with a classy pick-up shot off Matheesha Pathirana, further denting CSK’s confidence.
Despite a brilliant 19th over from Pathirana, where he conceded just one run and picked up a wicket, Tim David ensured RCB finished strong. He smashed three sixes off Sam Curran in the final over, pushing their total beyond CSK’s comfort zone.
CSK’s chase falls apart
From the outset, CSK’s chase was in trouble. Three wickets fell inside the powerplay, leaving the middle order with an uphill task. Rachin Ravindra and Shivam Dube tried to rebuild but struggled against the spinners. As the required run rate soared, they were forced into rash shots, proving that the pitch wasn’t as easy as RCB made it look.
Then came the long wait for Dhoni. The crowd kept hoping he would walk out, but he batted after both Jadeja and Ashwin. By the time he entered the field, 4.4 overs remained and even his late flourish couldn’t prevent CSK’s record-breaking home defeat.
While it is early on in the tournament but breaking the 17 year long jinx must have boosted RCB’s confidence. The side has won both its matches and they now sit on the top of point table with 4 points.