IPL 2019: 3 instances that show the strange relevance of the number 205 to CSK vs RCB matches

With IPL 2019 slated to begin on 23rd March, a lot of questions and speculations surrounding the selection of the national side for the World Cup 2019 will soon be put to rest.

But first things first: the encounter between CSK and RCB will kick off another highly anticipated season of the mega event. The rivalry between the two sides is well-documented, and is evident from the sheer quality of cricket played by the franchises from the southern part of the country.

While year on year we see a new lot of players making their IPL debut, records being shattered and new records being made, some things remain the same, adding to the charm of the tournament. In the case of the CSK vs RCB, it is the 205 coincidence that accentuates the entertainment value of the rivalry.

CSK and RCB have competed in 22 matches so far, with CSK emerging victorious on a whopping 14 of those occasions, while RCB have won 7, with one no result. On any given day, either individual brilliance or collective team efforts will determine the winner of the match, but sometimes, a largely inconsequential factor dictates the terms, leading to unmotivated deliberations amongst the fans and experts alike.

Talking about the 205 connection, whenever RCB or CSK have managed to put up exactly 205 runs on the board in their one-on-one encounters, CSK have emerged victorious.

Here's a look at those 3 instances:

#1 CSK vs RCB, final, IPL 2011

CSK – 205/5, RCB – 147/8

Result: CSK won by 58 runs

Batting first, the CSK side amassed a highly competitive 205 in their allotted 20 overs. The opening partnership of 159 runs between Michael Hussey (63 off 45) and Murali Vijay (95 off 52) thrilled the crowd to bits.

A last-ball six from Dwayne Bravo took the team total from 199 to 205.

Murali Vijay's heroics led CSK to their second IPL Title

For RCB, all hopes of winning their maiden IPL trophy came crashing down when the in-form Chris Gayle departed for a 3-ball duck. Virat Kohli (35 off 32) and Saurabh Tiwary (42* off 34) were the only notable scorers for the team from Bengaluru.

Ravichandran Ashwin's 3/16 sealed the cup for CSK.

#2 RCB vs CSK, 13th match, IPL 2012

RCB – 205/8 , CSK – 208/5

Result: CSK won by 5 wickets

In this cracker of a match, RCB won the toss and elected to bat first. Chris Gayle's batting prowess allowed him to tear into the opposition bowling attack, scoring an aggressive 68 (35).

Virat Kohli helped himself to another half-century in the company of Gayle. But a major batting collapse saw RCB falling from 198/4 to 199/8 in the space of 6 deliveries.

Du Plessis was involved in a couple of good partnerships

In reply, Faf du Plessis established an important opening partnership of 56 with Murali Vijay, laying the groundwork for the chase with a persistent 71(46). After his dismissal, it was the skipper Dhoni who held up one end with a knock of 41(24).

Dhoni's wicket opened the gates for the RCB bowlers, and CSK required a daunting 43 runs off the last 12 balls. Kohli bowling the penultimate over will always remain one of the memorable misjudgments of the IPL. Albie Morkel smashed 2 sixes and 2 fours off the first 4 balls delivered by Kohli, eventually taking him for 28 runs.

Vinay Kumar could not contain the batsmen in the final over, handing a memorable victory to CSK.

#3 RCB vs CSK, 24th match, IPL 2018

RCB – 205/8, CSK – 207/5

Result: CSK won by 5 wickets

The most recent such encounter between the 2 sides was contested in Bengaluru in 2018. CSK won the toss and elected to field first.

Quinton de Kock (53 off 37) and AB de Villiers (68 off 30) put up a 100-run stand after Virat Kohli’s dismissal early in the innings. A quick succession of wickets did not deter the RCB batsmen, as Mandeep Singh (32 off 17) and Washington Sundar (13* off 4) gave the innings the much-needed impetus.

CSK’s chase did not get off to the best of starts, as they lost Shane Watson early in the chase. But Ambati Rayudu went about his business, unfazed by the fall of wickets at the other end.

MS Dhoni, who had been in sublime touch in IPL 2018, came to the crease with the score reading 74/4. The skipper and Rayudu had their task cut out as CSK needed 132 from the last 11 overs at 12 runs per over.

MSD rolled back the years in a stunning effort

The RCB bowlers didn't know what hit them in the ensuing 9 overs. Rayudu and Dhoni looked at utmost ease in dispatching the ball to all parts of the park.

A slight miscommunication on the penultimate delivery of the 18th over resulted in Rayudu’s dismissal. CSK now needed 30 runs from 12 balls.

Mohammed Siraj, bowling the 19th over, looked as if he had the CSK batsmen under check, conceding only 3 runs from the first 4 balls. The momentum, however, shifted sides when a six from Dhoni and three successive wides changed a good over to an average over.

Corey Anderson bowling the final over allowed Dhoni to finish the match with a 6, in what was a nostalgic moment for a lot of MSDians.

Coincidently, 205 is also the highest total successfully chased down by CSK in the history of the IPL.

Come IPL 2019, we will have to wait and see whether the number 205 will have any impact on the outcome of the CSK-RCB encounter.