IPL 2021, CSK vs RCB: 3 reasons why the Royal Challengers Bangalore lost

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) saw their winning streak in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 come to a sad end at the hands of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

In a sharp turnaround of their woeful 2020 season, where they finished close to the bottom with a very similar playing XI, CSK put together a dominant performance to bag a huge win and make it four out of five at Mumbai.

Though the CSK openers once again got off to a good start, the accurate bowling by RCB's bowlers for 19 overs kept CSK to a scoring rate of 8. An explosion in the final over by Ravindra Jadeja took CSK to an above-par total, which RCB looked on track to chase down after a superb powerplay score. It was then that Jadeja returned to destroy RCB's middle order and effectively finish the game off with nearly half the innings yet to be played.

Here are three key reasons why RCB lost to CSK on April 25.

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#3 Harshal Patel loses the plot in CSK's final over

Harshal Patel turned from hero to villain for RCB in the span of six fateful deliveries.

Although he did pick up three big wickets, and cement his position at the top of the wickets chart for IPL 2021, Harshal Patel will unfortunately be remembered for his woeful final over, which earned the dubious distinction of being the joint-most expensive over in IPL history. Till the final over, his figures were an impressive 3-0-14-3.

Harshal's slower ball, so effective throughout the IPL so far, became a touch predictable as Ravindra Jadeja got hold of two such deliveries to send them for six. All hell broke loose with a waist-high full toss that was bashed for six, with the free hit getting the same treatment. Six more off the next two meant Harshal had thrown away the game from a strong position to CSK.

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#2 RCB's No. 3 woes continue via Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar couldn't quite deliver with the bat, a regularity for him in this format at this level.

IPL 2021 has presented RCB with a strange dilemma - who should bat at the No. 3 position? The team appears to have taken a conscious step to play AB de Villiers at No. 5 to lengthen their batting, but with the explosive Glenn Maxwell coming in at No. 4, a vacuum of batting quality forms at No. 3.

RCB have tried to coax batting out of Rajat Patidar in this position, and today Washington Sundar was given the nod. The southpaw deprived the team of momentum during the powerplay, and departed shortly after the end of the field restrictions for 7 off 11 in a chase of 191. It meant the likes of Maxwell and De Villiers had to operate in the middle overs against Jadeja and Imran Tahir, which turned out to be too tough a proposition.

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#1 Ravindra Jadeja's star turn for CSK

Ravindra Jadeja looks to have turned up with the ball this IPL.

Ravindra Jadeja started out as a bowler who could bat and contribute handy knocks for CSK, but changed last season to a fine finisher whose bowling returns were diminishing. IPL 2021 could well be the season where Jadeja cements himself as one of the best all-rounders in tournament history.

In one of the best all-round displays in the IPL, Jadeja smashed away to 62 off 28 balls with 5 sixes and 4 fours, before returning to stun RCB with a run-out and three big middle-order wickets. He was also incredibly tough to get away, as he came away with figures of 4/13 in his four overs.

Despite being well set after Devdutt Padikkal's powerplay assault, RCB found Jadeja's historic effort too hot to handle.