Experts are creating their teams, watch this space
Expert Team 1
F du Plessis
V Kohli
Expert Team 2
V Kohli
M Ali
Venue Details
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
VENUE STATS
1st Innings
160Avg Runs
6Avg Wkts
Avg
SR
2nd Innings
145Avg Runs
5Avg Wkts
Avg
SR
Fantasy TipsExclusive
1
Virat Kohli is a consistent player and is in excellent form, he has scored a total of 214 runs so far in this season and without a doubt Virat Kohli will be the best choice for captaincy in this game.
2
Moeen Ali is in tremendous form, he played brilliantly so far in this series and scored a total 49 runs, and took 5 wickets as well. Moeen Ali will look to continue his sensational form in this game as well.
3
Mohammed SirajandTushar Deshpande are the top bowlers' picks, both of them are in exceptional form and will play an important role in this game.
4
H2H Stats, last time when both the teams faced each other RCB won the game by 13 Runs.
5
Hot Picks: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway
Safe Picks:Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj
Stay Aways: Dinesh Karthik, Mahipal Lomror
Grand League Picks:Shivam Dube, Glenn Maxwell, Wanindu Hasaranga
The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
Well, that's what happens in the IPL. The margin for error is so less, teams often get punished. All's not lost though, it's only early days in the season. Two teams at the wrong end of the table go head-to-head in a key encounter tomorrow, with the Sunrisers Hyderabad taking on the Mumbai Indians. You know where to catch all the live action for that game, so we'll see you tomorrow! For now, this is Pratyush Rohra, signing off on behalf of my mates, Soorya Sesha and Shashwat Kumar. Thank you for joining our coverage. Goodnight!
Phew. That was quite the ride. Chennai Super Kings once again do what they've done over the years under MS Dhoni, managed to squeeze their opponents and find a way to get over the line. Doing it at Chepauk is one thing, doing it at the Chinnaswamy is another. They move closer to the top of the table while RCB now have more losses than wins. They might be scratching their head wondering how they lost this game after the carnage we saw from Faf and Maxwell.
Devon Conway is the Player of the Match. Here's what he had to say: Very happy with the way things went tonight. In the first few games, I haven't hit the straps. So, it was good to get amongst the runs and good to get the win tonight. (Approcach) For me, my recipe is quite simple. Just try to play good cricket shots. When I'm under pressure, to back the shots that I feel that can be executed best. I don't want to be too predictable, so move around in my crease a little bit. (How it is playing for CSK?) Its my second year playing for CSK. It's special. The support is phenomenal. They're loyal and it makes it better when you have MS Dhoni in your team.
MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings captain): (On the process today) When you come to Bangalore you know it's a good wicket and in the early part of the IPL you get a lot of dew. So you want to score a lot of runs. You want to start well and look to alter what is in your mind. I felt it was slightly tacky first up. The fast-bowlers were getting some help. It was important to go through that and then accelerate and then look to get something that was a par score. The moment you look for a par-plus score and end with 165-170 the game is done with the amount of dew there. (On Dube) He is someone who can hit very cleanly. Yes he has an issue with the fast bowlers but against spinners, he is a very clean hitter. The spinners have to adjust their length according to him. We had some plans for him but once he arrived in our camp he was injured. The thing is he needs to believe in himself. He has the talent but once you cross the rope you are on your own and you need to have that belief. Whenever you score 210, 220 runs the batters have to keep on hitting. If Faf and Maxi would have continued they would have won the game by the 18th over. You need to get engrossed into the process, what is the bowling change, what can I do from which end. From behind (the stumps) I keep assessing and it makes it easy for me since I can see if there's any deflection off the wicket for the fast-bowlers or spinners. I'm always focused on seeing what needs to be done than the result. (On the young bowlers at the death) It is a difficult one because there is a lot of pressure on the youngsters. Also this time when there is a lot of dew and it's not easy to execute the yorkers. But they're working very hard. And we look at the process - what are you doing to make yourself successful? Bravo being here, he's one of the specialists and working under him, the bowlers will get a plan on what to bowl. It is a team game and the bowling coach and the seniors guide them. You will get hit but see if you get hit on a good plan or are bowling to a bad plan, that is the difference.
Tushar Deshpande: (Plans) We all know when we play in Bangalore, it's going to be a good pitch. It's a small ground but we have to embrace that. I was focusing on my plans and glad that we executed them. One side was bigger today, even that was also pretty small, but there's margin for error on the bigger side. So, we had to back our strengths. We know good balls can go for runs here but we focus on executing our plans. (What MSD told him) He just said the bowlers have spoken a lot about the planning and it's time to take responsibility in the middle. I'm a big believer in staying in the present. It's T20 cricket, even if one over goes here or there, I have three more overs. I have confidence in myself to believe that I will win the game for my team.
Faf du Plessis, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain: (How is his fitness) Early on in the match, when I was diving and I just hurt by rib. As the innings went on, I was in discomfort but hopefully it is not too bad. (On taking his shirt off) I tried to hold it off a lot but had to do it towards the end. (On where the game was lost) We played it perfectly. The last five overs were there to be finished. I would have bet my house on DK to finish that game. But there was good bowling and some errors from our end. We were in the match for most of the time but the last four overs, we let it slip away a little. (On 226) I felt it was 10-15 too many. We went for a few runs to the short boundary to Dube. Last four was set up to be finished but we could not finish unfortunately. It is just one of those wickets where you bowl the first few balls and you figure out how good it is going to be. Today was one of those and you had to be at the top of your game as a bowler. Siraj was unbelievable but it is the difference of not going for a 20-plus over and probably going for 16 or something. Had a full crack at it but unfortunately we could not finish it. I lost a little bit of power towards the end, got a little stiff on the side. Really disappointed I could not find the power. Would have loved to go harder in the middle against the spinners.
First picture - Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni in the same frame involved in a conversation. And Dhoni says something that sends Kohli into a fit of laughter. Oh what a duo!
Match Summary: Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 8 runs.
What is a safe total at the Chinnaswamy Stadium? We wonder if ChatGPT has an answer for that because trust us, we certainly don't. 444 runs in 40 overs and 14 wickets later, it's the Men in Yellow who will heave a sigh of relief at having pulled off a nervy defense despite walloping a gargantuan 226 on the board thanks to Devon Conway and Shivam Dube's half-centuries.
It seemed like everything was going against the Royal Challengers when Virat Kohli dragged an Akash Singh delivery onto his boots, only for the ball to ricochet onto the stumps. Suddenly, a couple of missed chances seemed to give RCB the luck they wanted though, before Mahipal Lomror failed to capitalize on his dropped chance. But there was only one way the hosts were getting anywhere close and that was by swinging for the bleachers.
Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis did exactly that with a record target in sight. The latter was the first to take off and he automatically operated in sixth gear, tearing into the seamers and forcing MS Dhoni to turn to spin for the last over of the powerplay. With Maxwell joining the party though, RCB whipped up 75 in the first six and brought the game to life. More than life in fact - they were running away at the speed of light and were ahead of the eight-ball at the halfway mark with everything the Super Kings tried going in vain. Both Maxwell and du Plessis racked up belligerent half-centuries and suddenly, RCB were right in front going by the asking rate.
CSK were slacking big time on the field and dropped too many catches. Thankfully for them, it was MS Dhoni with the gloves who was underneath a couple of steeplers that sent both Maxwell and du Plessis packing. He gambled with Moeen Ali and it led to the departure of the RCB skipper despite the offie conceding too many runs. With RCB continuing to minimize the dot deliveries though, they were well in front with Dinesh Karthik also finding the fence.
46 runs were required off the last four and Dhoni trusted Tushar Deshpande for the 17th ahead of Matheesha Pathirana. It nearly proved fatal with Deshpande dishing out half-trackers and full tosses even as he looked to go for the wide yorker and erred. Despite another dropped chance, Karthik holed out with Theekshana finally holding onto one. Then came an absolute yorker masterclass from Pathirana, whose 18th over proved to be the clincher with the wicket of Shahbaz Ahmed and just four runs off it.
Suyash Prabhudessai came in as the impact player and struck a couple of lusty blows but Deshpande and Pathirana continued to hold their nerve on either side of them. 19 runs were needed off the last over and Pathirana was incredible again, with the one six coming off that over also down to a bit of genius from Prabhudessai. In the end though, the young Sri Lankan just about held his nerve to pull it off. Wow - that was quite a contest alright! Any fingernails left at all?
Matheesha Pathirana! Remember this name. Mind you, no fan of CSK will ever forget it for a long, long time. That is unbelievable execution under pressure by a young lad playing just his first game of the season. And my oh my have we witnessed a thriller or what! At the end of a huge run-fest, Chennai Super Kings prevail by 8 runs. Just!
20
overs
218/8score
1
1
6
0
2
W
runs
Suyash Prabhudessai*
19(11)
Wanindu Hasaranga
2(2)
Matheesha Pathirana
2/42
19.6 Matheesha Pathirana to Suyash Prabhudessai, CSK WIN! PATHIRANA, YOU ABSOLUTE CHAMPION! Dug into the track outside off stump. Prabhudessai tries to sign off with a six but does not get hold of it at all. Splices it and Jadeja does the rest at deep mid wicket to secure CSK's third victory of this IPL season! Suyash Prabhudessai c Ravindra Jadeja b Matheesha Pathirana 19 (11b, 0x4, 2x6)
He has done it! Almost, that is. Just a legal delivery will do for the Super Kings. 9 needed off 1...
19.5 Matheesha Pathirana to Suyash Prabhudessai, slower delivery on a length outside off stump. Prabhudessai heaves it towards long on and gets back for a couple of runs
Oh what a delivery! Terrific from Pathirana. 11 needed off 2...
19.4 Matheesha Pathirana to Suyash Prabhudessai, excellent yorker just outside off stump. Prabhudessai can't get under it and jams it straight back to the bowler
11 needed off 3...
RIDICULOUS! How has Prabhudessai pulled that off? Goodness me that is unbelievable! It's the joint record in the IPL for most sixes in a game!
19.3 Matheesha Pathirana to Suyash Prabhudessai, SHOT! WHAT A SHOT! Low full toss outside off stump. Prabhudessai goes for the reverse lap again and this time, nails it to perfection, sending it sailing over Dhoni's head for six!
That might have been a wide had Hasaranga let it pass! RCB need to find the fence off this delivery. 17 needed off 4...
19.2 Matheesha Pathirana to Wanindu Hasaranga, slower delivery on a back of a length outside off stump. Hasaranga is totally foxed and periscopes it towards backward point for one