It took nearly 18 years, but Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finally broke their losing streak against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. In an electrifying encounter on Friday, RCB secured a 50-run victory in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Remarkably, only two players featured in both the first and this latest clash — MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Back in the inaugural season of IPL, RCB was led by Rahul Dravid, with legends like Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Anil Kumble in the squad. That team defeated Chennai at the same venue, but since then, wins against CSK at Chepauk had been elusive — until now.
Rajat Patidar: The Hero of the Night
In this historic victory, RCB’s new captain Rajat Patidar shone brightly. Coming in at number four, he smashed 51 off 32 balls with three sixes and four fours, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Kohli, a constant presence in RCB since the first IPL season, scored 31 runs off 30 balls. Three quick cameos also boosted RCB’s innings — Phil Salt (32 off 16), Devdutt Padikkal (27 off 14), and Tim David (22* off 8). These contributions helped RCB post a solid total of 196/7 in 20 overs.
Chennai’s Struggle with the Bat
Chasing 197, CSK collapsed early, losing six wickets for just 80 runs. Among their top five, only Rachin Ravindra managed to cross double digits, scoring 41 off 31 balls — the highest for his team.
In a surprising move, MS Dhoni, the 43-year-old legend who has led CSK to five IPL titles, was sent in at number nine — even after Ravichandran Ashwin. Despite this, Dhoni remained unbeaten with 30 off 16 balls, including two sixes and three fours, making it the second-highest score for CSK in the match.
Josh Hazlewood Leads the Bowling
For RCB, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood was the standout bowler, taking 3 wickets for 21 runs in his four overs. Chennai could only manage 146/8 in their 20 overs.
RCB Tops the Table
With two wins from two matches, RCB now sits at the top of the points table, while CSK tasted their first defeat after a winning start to the season.
A historic victory, a resilient performance, and an 18-year-old wait finally came to an end for Bengaluru.
