Virat Kohli led from the front as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) beat Chennai Super Kings by 37 runs to win the 25th Match of the Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 on Saturday.
After electing to bat, RCB lost Aaron Finch in the third over after Deepak Chahar disturbed the timber. However, Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal denied CSK any immediate success, putting up a 53-run stand for the second wicket.
CSK then struck twice in the 11th over as Shardul Thakur got Devdutt Padikkal and AB de Villiers out in the space of a run. While the left-hander was caught at mid-off, ABD edged one to MS Dhoni.
While Washington Sundar, promoted to bat ahead of Shivam Dube, added 26 runs with Kohli, Sam Curran cut short the partnership, dismissing the left-hander in the 15th over.
RCB were 93/4 when Washington Sundar was dismissed and needed their skipper to fire and like he had done so many times in the past, Kohli did.
RCB were 103/4 at the end of the 16th over and went on to score 66 runs in the last four.
Kohli brought up his second fifty from the last three matches in the 17th over, with RCB closing in on 120.
The next three overs saw RCB score 49 runs, with Kohli scoring 37 of those runs. The 18th over saw RCB score 24 runs, hitting three sixes off Sam Curran. While Kohli creamed two sixes, Shivam Dube cleared the ropes for a maximum.
The RCB skipper added one more six to his tally after taking on Thakur on the first ball of the penultimate over. RCB also crossed 150-run mark in the same over. While Kohli remained unbeaten on 90 off 52 balls, RCB posted 169/4 on the board.
Defending 169, RCB kept things tight to begin the proceedings as Chris Morris, Navdeep Saini and Isuru Udana conceded only 13 runs in the first three overs and it helped RCB get their first wicket as Faf du Plessis went aerial and was caught in the deep in the fourth over bowled by Washington Sundar.
The young off-spinner struck in the final over of the powerplay as he dismissed Shane Waston as CSK ended the powerplay, with 26/2.
While debutant N Jagadeesan and Ambati Rayudu added 54 runs together, RCB did not let CSK score at brisk pace, building the pressure. The partnership was broken when the former was run-out for 33.
Although Dhoni slammed a six on the third ball he faced, RCB managed to pick three wickets in the space of 7 runs.
Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Dhoni for 10 after Gurkeerat Singh Mann held onto a catch at long-off.
CSK then lost Sam Curran and Ambati Rayudu in the next two overs. While Curran was caught by ABD on Morris’ bowling, Udana hit the woodwork to end Rayudu’s 42-run innings.
CSK needed 53 runs in the last two overs and RCB conceded not more than 15 runs to seal a 37-run win to register their fourth win of the season.
Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 169/4 (Virat Kohli 90*, Devdutt Padikkal 33; Shardul Thakur 2/40) beat Chennai Super Kings 132/6 (Ambati Rayudu 42, N Jagadeesan 33; Chris Morris 3/19) by 37 runs
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