Hello All,
Welcome to another doubleheader weekend. It’s time for the South derby CSK vs RCB. Both teams would be looking to get back into winning ways after a poor outing in their previous game. RCB were beaten in all the departments by DC whereas CSK somehow managed to lose their game against KKR after bossing almost the entire game. The addition of Morris would be a big boost for RCB they have invested heavily on him this season. Bravo being back for CSK adds more depth in CSK. Looking forward to an interesting encounter this with CSK holding an edge over RCB in recent times.
It’s toss time and we see that RCB has won the toss and elected to bat first. They make two changes to their team with Morris coming in place of Ali and Siraj making a place for Gurkeerat Singh. CSK to make one change by bringing in Jagadeesan in place of Kedhar Jadhav.
IPL 2020: Match 25. CSK vs RCB
Live from- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Time- 7:30 IST
Broadcast- Star Sports Network (1 English) and (3 Hindi) and Disney+hotstar for online streaming.
Umpires- Paul Reiffel, Anil Chaudhary
3rd umpire- Anil Dandekar
Match official- Javagal Srinath
Teams-
Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c/wk), N Jagadeesan, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers (wk), Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Washington Sundar, Isuru Udana, Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Devdutt Padikkal and Finch to open the innings for RCB. Chahar will open the attack for CSK. Bowls an excellent first over just 2 coming from it. Sam Curran to partner Chahar. Bowls a good over until the last where is bowls a wide down the leg and the extra ball is nicely timed for a boundary. 9 runs coming from it. RCB are 11/0 after 2. Chahar to resume, starts with two singles and then two dots and hits the timber against Finch. Finch was having problems facing Chahar and his struggles have been brought to an end by an inswinger from Chahar. A double to finish the over.
Kohli and Dev in it, Curran to continue, gives just 6 from it. RCB are 21/1 after 4. Chahar to bowl is third, just gives 5 runs. No boundaries after the one in 2 over for RCB, just dealing in singles. RCB are 25/1 after 5. Shardul Thakur is brought in and Dev cuts hard for a boundary to start the over. Two balls later, Kohli gives the charge and times it perfectly down the ground for another boundary. 11 runs coming from the over and RCB are 36/1 at the end of powerplay.
Bravo is brought into the attack, two singles and a wide ball later, Kohli just smashes it through extra cover for a boundary. Gaining in confidence here Kohli. 10 runs coming from it. RCB are 46/1 after 7 and CSK take the strategic time out. A good period of play for CSK just giving 36 runs in the powerplay and getting Finch early. Finch’s struggle against the incoming delivery does him again. Kohli and Dev need to stick a partnership here and have started well.
Karn Sharma brought in the attack, starts off with 4 singles. RCB reach their 50. Bravo continues giving just 5 singles. RCB are 55/1 after 9. Sharma returns, starts off with two singles then Dev finally connects one out of the ground for a maximum! Some pressure released for Dev and RCB there much needed one. Also bringing up the 50-run partnership between the pair. Two singles to finish the 10. RCB reach 65/1. Steady start for RCB, CSK looking for wickets and RCB would need to step on the gas.
Thakur is back, Kohli takes a single, bowls a short leg cutter it holds on the pitch and Dev tries to loft the ball only managing to give a simple catch to Faf at mid-off. Second wicket down for RCB. A run a ball innings from Dev comes to an end. AB walks in and Thakur gets the better of AB. Another cross seamer and Ab tries a drive but only manages to get a thick outside edge and Dhoni makes no mistakes. AB is gone without troubling the score. RCB in a spot here. Sundar walks into bat. After 11, RCB are 63/3.
Jadeja is brought into the attack and bowls a tight over giving away just 2 runs. Spin at both ends now, Sharma back in After a double and two singles, Sundar takes the aerial route and just clears long-on for a maximum, after 2 singles the over ends. 12 runs coming from it. RCB gets a good over in will look to maintain it now. Jadeja to continue, Kohli takes a single and brings his 6000 run for RCB. Another quick and economical over thus from Jadeja with just 5 coming from it. RCB reach 86/3 after 14.
Sam Curran is back in the attack, Kohli dances down the track, Curran follows him, Kohli still goes through with the pull and gets a top edge which flies over Dhoni’s head for a maximum! Some luck there for Kohli. Takes a single off the next. Sundar falls now, Short and wide, was there to be hit but Sundar trying too hard just manages to get a thick edge to Dhoni. CSK getting wickets just when RCB look to get in a partnership. At the end of 15, RCB lagging behind at 95/4. Sharma to continue gives away just 4 from his 5 balls and the last one is hit straight back for a boundary to finish the over.
RCB have taken the strategic time out. Just 103 on the board after 16 overs and wickets been taken by CSK have certainly applied the brakes on RCB scoring. Kohli will be the key for RCB moving forward if they want to get a fighting total. CSK would be looking to get Kohli and wrap things early. Final 4 overs coming your way.
Thakur continues, Kohli and his love for twos starts with 2 twos and a single, Thakur bowls a short slower ball and Dube waits for it and places it perfectly for a boundary. A single later, Kohli pulls one to the boundary and also bringing up his 50 off 39 balls. 14 runs coming from that over. Need much more of these if RCB needs to get to a fighting total. Kohli’s form here is crucial and hopefully gets support for the other end as well.
Sam Curran to continue and Dube gets one over the fence-Just. Actually a dropped catch there and it goes for a 6. Jagadeesan there in the deep could not hold on to that one. Bonus runs for RCB and Kohli is excited. A single and a wide later, Kohli joins in and hits a straight flat 6 straight over Jagadeesan’s head this time. 2nd 6 of the over. A double and a wide later, Kohli dances down and just flicks it to deep backward square leg for another maximum. A single to finish off an expensive over – 24 from it. RCB are now 141/4 after 18.
Thakur to continue and Kohli greets him with a maximum. Dealing in 6’d here is the RCB captain. Thakur bowls a waist high full toss, a no-ball called and Kohli somehow places it for another 2. Bowls an excellent yorker on the free hit, only a single. 5 balls and almost 5 yorkers there from Thakur excellent way to end the over after starting is a bizarre way still RCB managing to get 14 from it. Also bringing up the 50 run stand between the pair. 155/4 after 19.
Final over and Bravo to bowl and 4 to start, would you believe it- Kohli played the scoop/ramp shot. Never have I seen Kohli play that before. New skill added and he straight away points toward the dressing room- To AB? The next ball is hit straight back Bravo somehow manages to get a hand to it saving a certain boundary just 2, bowls a wide yorker and Kohli takes another double, another 2 through wide long-off, low full toss and another double. Crazy running this from RCB skipper 4 doubles in the last over after batting almost 18 overs. 14 runs to end the over and RCB finish 169/4.
So RCB have managed a reasonable total in the end. They have got 66 runs in the final 4 overs mainly thanks to the skipper- Kohli and a cameo from Dube in the end. RCB kept losing wickets in clusters did not help their cause. CSK were very good with their bowling and Dhoni made some important bowling changes and they restricted RCB. RCB would be happy with the end score and go on with some momentum to end the innings. CSK will bat soon. The Chase coming right up.
Waston and Faf are out in the middle for CSK, Morris to open the bowling for RCB. Morris starts with two outswingers and the third is an inswinger, picked by Watson and flicks it for a boundary. Two dots to end the first. CSK are 4/0 after 1. Saini to bowl from the other end and bowls a wonderful over giving just 2 runs from it. Udana is brought in the attack bowls a good over until the last ball where he bowls it in the pads and Watson was ready for it and whips it over Chahal over square leg. CSK are 13/0 after 3.
Sundar is introduced in the attack, bowling a decent over just giving two singles, 2 doubles and a dot, the last ball Faf tries to go big, but hit it in the longest part of the ground and it’s straight in the hands of awaiting Morris. CSK leading run scorer is gone. Big breakthrough for RCB and Sundar gets his first. Rayudu walks in to bat at 3. Saini to continue, just gives 2 runs from it. The pressure is maintained.
Sundar resumes and finally, Watson gets a hit me ball and sweeps it for a boundary. Watson tries to take on Sundar and tries for the slog sweep again but this time Sundar gets the better of him and castles him. Pitched it further up, low bounce and slides through the gap between bat and pad. Watson goes after another scratchy inning. CSK- 26/2 after 6.
Jagadeesan walks in at 4, Chahal introduced into the attack. Bowls a tidy first over just 4 singles from it. Sundar continues and gives just 5 singles. Good bowling this by RCB spinners. They have kept the pressure on CSK batsman. Udana resumes, after two singles Rayudu plays the ramp shot and gets a boundary for CSK. Three more singles to end the over. 9 runs coming from it. CSK are 44/2 after 9 and it’s time for a strategic timeout. Good bowling from RCB, they have maintained pressure on CSK batsman. CSK have not been able to get the momentum going hopefully, this pair can.
Morris is back and bowls another economical over just giving away 3 runs. CSK are 47/2 after 10. Chahal is back in the attack, Rayudu takes a single off his first. Jagadeesan gives charge and then hits it straight down the ground for a boundary. 4 runs of the next 4 balls. 9 runs coming from the over. CSK reach 56/2 after 11. Saini is back to bowl, Rayudu greets him with his trademark shot for a boundary a wide and just two singles taken by CSK. No intent is shown by the CSK batsman while running between the wickets. They can’t find boundaries and no intent while running. CSK are 63/2.
Chahal is brought back in the attack, Jagadeesan shows some intent and sweeps it hard for a bounday. Two singles later he tries the switch hit, connects well and gets another boundary almost going for a maximum a wide and a single to finish off the over. 12 coming from it. CSK take the strategic timeout. Finally some intent shown by CSK. Jagadeesan showing some intent there in the middle. RCB would be looking for a wicket before this pair can take the game away from them.
Dube is brought in some strange move this and Jagadeesan greets him with a boundary via a pull short. A single off the next and Rayudu also joins the party with a boundary playing a scoop shot. In the end 14 runs from that over and CSK are on their way. 89/2 after 14.
Saini is back in the attack, Jagadeesan hits it straight to midoff and takes off and Morris hits the stumps with a direct throw we go upstairs and see that Jagadeesan is short of his crease. Good throw from Morris to break the partnership. Poor running from Jagadeesan to say the least like he gave up almost at halfway through. RCB are overjoyed. Thala (Dhoni) walks in to bat, Rayudu continues with a boundary. 7 coming from that over and CSK are 96/3 after 15.
So 74 needed from 30 balls. Dhoni would try and take this game deep and Rayudu would be the attacking one. Both are important for any chance for CSK to chase down the target. Chahal to bowl his final, 2 singles from the first 2 then Dhoni hits it straight and long for a maximum over long-on. A double and a dot ball later, Dhoni tries to clear the fence again but Chalal bowls it wide of off making Dhoni reach for it. Dhoni gets a good slice of it but not the distance and it’s straight to the hands of Gurkeerat placed at long-off. Big-Big wicket this for RCB. CSK are 106/4 after 16.
64 needed now from the final 4, Morris is back to bowl his third. Rayudu takes a single from the first. Morris to Curran, bowls a short ball and Curran shuffles across tries to play it only managing a slight edge to the keeper. Umpire denies and RCB takes a review. The ultra-edge does show a spike and Curran has to depart, infact he had already walked as soon as RCB took the review. CSK crumbling here. Just 3 runs from that over from Morris and CSK are 109/5 after 17.
Jadeja and Rayudu have a mountain to climb here. Udana is back in the attack, Takes 2 twos to start the over and then Rayudu finds his stumps shattered. Full and straight from Udana, Rayudu shuffles around for the ramp shot misses it and the bowler hits the target. Bravo walks in to bat. Just gives away 8 from the over. It’s 117/6 after 18.
Morris is back to bowl his final, a single and a double then a dropped catch off Bravo from Dev at long-off. Bravo tries to take the charge but only manages to get it straight in the air and Dev gets there but could not hold on to it. Same ball, in the air again but this time Dev corrects his mistake and Bravo departs. His short stay has come to an end. Chahar walks in to bat. Jadeja pulls one for a boundary but it’s too late now for CSK. The last ball, Jadeja flicks it but it’s straight in the hands of Gurkeerat in the deep. Third wicket for Morris. He ends with 3/19 and CSK are 126/8 after 19.
44 needed from the last, Udana bowls the over giving away just 5 runs. A big 37-run win for RCB over CSK. CSK never got going with their chase. RCB bowled tight spells, maintained the pressure resulting in choking of runs and were able to take wickets in clusters to get the job done. RCB bowled better and did not repeat their past mistakes. RCB too started slow but in the end, it was the Kohli special at the end that was the difference between the two teams. RCB win a big game while CSK are found in a fix losing 5 of their 7 games, a rare sight this. RCB get the win and 2 points and look strong.
Awards-
Virat Kohli – Dream11 game-changer of the match.
Virat Kohli – Altroz super striker of the match.
Virat Kohli- Unacademy – Let’s crack it.
Washington Sundar – Cred power player of the match.
Virat Kohli – Man of the Match.
Well that bring us to an end of the Clash between Captain Cool vs Captain Aggression. It was the aggressive captain that lead from the front for his team for the win. Another 2 points added to their kitty. RCB now placed fourth in the table their NRR being lower than the other teams tied at 8 points apiece. For more IPL content click here.
Watch the Match Highlights of CSK vs RCB here-
Stay tuned for Chapter 9 coming up next. Till then Happy Reading! Ciao.
Vivek Nair
