IPL 2018: Match 24 – RCB v CSK – MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu chase down 205 against RCB in style

MS Dhoni finished the match with his copyright six.

Ambati Rayudu made a scintillating 82 | IANS

The 24th match of the Indian Premier League saw two heavyweights of the Indian Premier League clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, as Royal Challengers Bangalore hosted Chennai Super Kings.

Chennai Super Kings had won 4 matches out of 5 played and were on the second spot on the points table, while RCB was on the sixth spot on the points table with 2 wins and three losses. CSK won the toss and decided to bowl first. RCB made two changes, bringing in Negi and De Grandhomme, while CSK brought in Tahir and Harbhajan.

RCB had a decent start, but Kohli was dismissed by Thakur for 18. AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock added 103 runs for the second wickets with De Villiers making 68 off 30 balls with 8 sixes and 2 fours, and De Kock making 53 in 37 balls with 4 sixes and 1 four.

However, De Kock, De Villiers and Anderson got out quickly by the 15th over and RCB lost quite a lot of momentum. Mandeep helped with 32 off 17 balls and Sundar scored 13* off 4 balls, as RCB reached 205/8 in 20 overs.

Imran Tahir and Dwayne Bravo each took 2/35 and Thakur also picked 2 wickets for Chennai Super Kings.

Chennai had a tough task ahead of them in the chase. It got tougher with Watson dismissed for 7 by Negi, Raina going for 11 runs and Billings getting stumped off Chahal for 11. Ravindra Jadeja made 3 runs, before Chahal bowled him.

Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni got together to mend the CSK innings and took on the RCB bowlers. It all came down to 55 runs needed in 4 overs, as Umesh Yadav provided Rayudu with a life and Rayudu responded by hitting two sixes.

Ambati Rayudu scored 82 in 53 balls with 8 sixes and 3 fours, before Umesh Yadav’s direct hit found him short. In the end, MS Dhoni had the task of taking CSK to the finish and he did it in style with an unbeaten 70* off 34 balls with 7 sixes and 1 four. MS Dhoni completed his second fifty in this IPL 2018.

Dwayne Bravo contributed with a six and four off the first two balls of the 20th over by Anderson and left it to Dhoni for the finishing touches and Dhoni finished it with a six with 2 balls to go.

Virat Kohli will rue that RCB was 20 runs short even with 205 on board and Rayudu and Dhoni played the innings of their lives to take CSK to a grand win.

BRIEF SCORES:
RCB 205/8 (AB DE VILLIERS 68; D BRAVO 2/35) lost to CSK 207/5 (A RAYUDU 82; Y CHAHAL 2/26) BY 5 wkts

 
 

By Jatin Sharma - 25 Apr, 2018

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