05 May,2025 07:39 AM IST | Bangalore | R Kaushik
Stephen Fleming. Pic/PTI
One team might be sitting at the top of the table and the other occupying the exact opposite end of the spectrum, but the gulf between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings was miniscule at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on a rocking Saturday night. Not just miniscule, almost non-existent.
In the end, the margin was a mere two runs as Yash Dayal held his nerve and defended 15 runs in the final over, bowling the hosts to a popular victory. A cracking opening stand between Jacob Bethell and Virat Kohli was backed up by a savage 14-ball 53 not out - the joint second-fastest IPL fifty - by Romario Shepherd, muscling RCB to 213 for five with 54 coming off the last two overs. But CSK weren't going down without a fight.
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Ayush Mhatre, 17, and Ravindra Jadeja, more than twice his age, joined hands in a spectacular third-wicket alliance of 114 in just 64 deliveries, to keep the five-time former champions well in the hunt. Mhatre forced even the most loyal RCB fan to break out in applause as he became the third youngest IPL half-centurion before perishing for a wonderful 94.
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The faster bowlers were spectacular at the death. Lungi Ngidi on franchise debut took two wickets for just eight in the 17th and the left-armer Dayal closed out the game to take RCB to their eighth win in 11 outings.
"It was a much better performance, but just a couple of areas where we lost concentration and they pounced, in particular the last two overs of the fielding effort," CSK coach Stephen Fleming conceded. "We actually batted really well. It's been one of our struggles this year, but there were a couple of individual performances that we're really proud of.
"It's early days, but we have been very impressed with his skills right from when he trialled and was with us at the early part of the season," Fleming said of Mhatre. "But more his temperament really. It's one thing to have a lot of shots, but to be able to execute that game plan on a big stage in front of some of the biggest players in the world is what I admire."
