IPL 2025: RCB edge out CSK in another Chinnaswamy thriller

Bengaluru: Yash Dayal did it again. A year after silencing the Chinnaswamy crowd by denying MS Dhoni a fairytale finish, the left-arm seamer turned executioner once more — this time holding his nerve in a cauldron of noise to bowl Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a two-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a last-over thriller in IPL on Saturday.

With 15 required off the final over, the equation tilted dramatically after Dayal bowled a high full toss that Shivam Dube launched for six, reducing the equation to six off three balls. But the 26-year-old stayed ice-cold, nailing three perfect yorkers to keep CSK down to just four runs.

The victory – RCB’s sixth on the bounce – took them to 16 points and within touching distance of the playoffs.

But the win wouldn’t have been possible without Romario Shepherd’s brute-force finish earlier in the evening. Walking in with RCB stuttering at 157/5 in the 18th over, Shepherd tore apart CSK’s vaunted death bowling. His 14-ball 50 – the joint second-fastest in IPL history – lifted the hosts to a daunting 213/5, their highest total at home this season.

RCB had started strong after being put in to bat. Debutant Jacob Bethell and the ever-dependable Virat Kohli put up 71 runs in the power-play, with Bethell smashing a 28-ball fifty and Kohli bringing up his 62nd IPL half-century.

However, once Kohli departed for 62 off 33, RCB lost their way. Matheesha Pathirana and Sam Curran turned the screws in the middle overs, conceding just 33 runs in five overs and picking up two wickets. With the innings floundering, Shepherd launched an extraordinary assault. In the 19th over, he plundered 33 off Khaleel Ahmed – four sixes, a no-ball, and a four. Pathirana wasn’t spared either as the final over went for 23.

CSK’s chase got off to a cautious start with just 23 runs in the first three overs. But 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre, playing only his fourth IPL match, changed the momentum with a stunning assault on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, taking 26 runs in a single over.

He soon brought up his maiden IPL fifty off just 25 balls and went on to smash 94 off 48, becoming the third-youngest player to score a fifty in the league’s history.

His clean hitting – including two sixes off Shepherd and a majestic 98m pull – brought CSK back into the contest. But just when it looked like CSK were cruising, Ngidi turned the game. He removed Mhatre with a well-disguised slower ball and trapped Dewald Brevis lbw the very next delivery. Controversy followed as CSK were denied a review despite confusion over the timer display. Still, CSK fought back. Jadeja slammed a 109m six, and when Dhoni walked in, the Chinnaswamy crowd went quiet. He smacked Bhuvneshwar for a six to keep the hopes alive. The drama hit peak levels in the 20th over but Dayal, for the second consecutive year, held his nerve against the legendary finisher. A pair of searing yorkers followed by another toe-crusher proved enough. Dhoni was caught plumb in front on the final ball – a review showed three reds, and with it, RCB sealed a famous win.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 213/5 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 62, Jacob Bethell 55, Romario Shepherd 53 not out; Matheesha Pathirana 3-63, Noor Ahmad 1-26) beat Chennai Super Kings 211/5 in 20 overs (Ayush Mhatre 94, Ravindra Jadeja 77; Lungi Ngidi 3-30, Krunal Pandya 1-24) by two runs. (IANS)

Also Read: IPL 2025: Mohammed Shami not looking good right now, says Aakash Chopra

Also Watch: