Chennai Super Kings register 6-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore

Their batsmen are in top form but Chennai Super Kings would look to plug the bowling loopholes when they take on a struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore in a key IPL game between the southern rival in Bangalore.

Chennai Super Kings are virtually through to the Indian Premier League play-offs after a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore, courtesy a superb bowling effort from the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh.

Jadeja (3/18 in 4 overs) and Harbahajan (2/22 in 4 overs) wreaked havoc as RCB could only manage 127 for 9, largely due to efforts from Parthiv Patel (53 off 41 balls) and Tim Southee (36 off 26 balls).

On a tricky pitch, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (31 no off 23 balls) picked up Yuzvendra Chahal for some special treatment with three huge sixes as CSK knocked off the required runs in only 18 overs to move to 14 points from 10 games.

Another win in the next four matches will guarantee CSK a spot as 16 points has always been a cut-off for play-off qualification.

RCB's sloppy fielding also contributed to their downfall. At 80 for 4 in the 13th over, CSK were in a spot of bother but Parthiv as usual was shoddy behind the stumps, dropping Dwayne Bravo (14 off 17 balls) off Murugan Ashwin.

Ashwin was also unlucky when Chahal dropped Bravo at deep extra cover as the all-rounder along with his skipper added 48 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket stand.

For Virat Kohli, it is turning out to be yet another disappointing season as RCB once again stare at an imminent exit with only three wins from nine games.    

Chennai Super Kings innings

After top-order batting collapse, Tim Southee’s late exploits pushed Royal Challengers Bangalore to 127/9 in a must-win game at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune.

The New Zealand pacer smashed a crucial 36 off just 26 balls to take the visitors beyond the 100-run mark.

Ravindra Jadeja, who was at the receiving end after CSK’s defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday, bounced back in style as he grabbed 3 wickets including the prized wicket of Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

Playing in his first match of the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League, Parthiv Patel cracked a brilliant half-century (53 off 41 deliveries), lacing up his innings with 5 boundaries and 2 maximums.

He was among the only two batsmen to cross double-digit mark and the other one being Tim Southee.

Dhoni at his usual best pic.twitter.com/qzjfCl4Kn3

— Sanket Jadhav (@sanket13090) May 5, 2018

Toss

Chennai Super Kings won the toss and invited Royal Challengers Bangalore to bat first at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune.

AB de Villiers returns to the Virat Kohli-led side after missing 2 matches games with injury and he replaces countryman Quinton de Kock, who has flown back home to attend a wedding ceremony.

CSK XI: S Watson, A Rayudu, S Raina, MS Dhoni, D Shorey, DJ Bravo, R Jadeja, D Willey, H Singh, S Thakur, L Ngidi

RCB XI: P Patel, B McCullum, V Kohli, AB de Villiers, M Singh, C de Grandhomme, M Ashwin, T Southee, U Yadav, Y Chahal, M Siraj

Preview

Their batsmen are in top form but Chennai Super Kings would look to plug the bowling loopholes when they take on a struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore in a key IPL game between the southern rival in Bangalore.

The Virat-Kohli led RCB, who edged out Mumbai Indians by 14 runs in their last game, will be eager to avenge their five-wicket defeat at home against the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Super Kings, who too will be keen to swiftly get back into the winning mode after suffering two defeats in their last three games.

For the star-studded RCB, the clash is a must-win encounter if it has to stay alive in the tournament and qualify for the playoffs.

While RCB are in the fifth spot, having won three of their eight matches, CSK are still in a comfortable position in second position with six wins from nine games.

The yellow brigade seems to have settled down well in its adopted home and has lost only to the Mumbai Indians here after shifting base after their first game in Chennai.    

But that comprehensive eight-wicket defeat against MI on April 28 followed by the six-wicket hammering by the Kolkata Knight Riders last night has shown chinks in the CSK armour, especially in bowling.        

The Chennai batsmen are on song and most are among runs with Ambati Rayudu, Australian Shane Watson, West Indian Dwayne Bravo, skipper Dhoni and Suresh Raina contributing when the team needed. Rayudu, especially, has batted well both as an opener and at number four, scoring 391 runs so far.

If CSK decide to continue with South African Faf Du Plessis and Watson at the top, then Rayadu will again bat down the order.

Dhoni, who remained unbeaten yesterday, has reminded his critics that he is not past his prime and if he hits those towering sixes again tomorrow, it will pose a danger to the RCB attack.

Chennai bowlers had been generally impressive with Shardul Thakur at the top. But in their defeats against MI and even yesterday, the bowling attack could not defend the scores put up by their batters and appears to be missing the services of injured Deepak Chahar.

The pacers and the spinners led by veteran Harbhajan Singh need to play to potential to restrict a devastating RCB batting line-up, spearheaded by Kohli.

RCB too have some batting woes to overcome with only Kohli performing consistently, amassing 449 runs in nine matches.

They will be eager to put South African batsman A B de Villiers, who has scored 280 runs in six games, back on the field. He has missed out games due to fever.

These two batsmen are crucial to RCB's hopes. They also require Quinton de Kock (201 runs in 8 games) and Brendon McCullum (122 runs in 5 games), who are yet to play to their potential, to chip in.

Even the likes of Mandeep Singh (204 runs in 8 matches) and Kiwi Colin de Grandhomme (45 runs in 3 matches), will need to get going if the CSK bowlers are to be tamed.

RCB's primary headache has been their death bowling as they have leaked runs in this phase.

Umesh Yadav (11 wickets) and Yuzvendra Chahal (7 wickets) have stamped their class, but Mohammad Siraj and Washington Sunder (four wickets) have performed below par. 

RCB also have the option to play veteran Kiwi pacer Tim Southee in place of his compatriot Corey Anderson.

Scores of over 160 have been a regular phenomenon at the stadium in Gahunje on the city's outskirts and with two strong batting line-ups squaring off, another high-scoring thriller is on the cards.

Teams (From):

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (C), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Faf du Plessis, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Kanishk Seth, Lungi Ngidi, Dhruv Shorey, Murali Vijay, Sam Billings, Mark Wood, Kshitiz Sharma, Monu Kumar, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Imran Tahir, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, N Jagadeesan, David Willey.    

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (Captain), Quinton de Kock, Brendon McCullum, AB de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Chris Woakes, Washington Sundar, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Mohammed Siraj, Corey Anderson, Parthiv Patel, Tim Southee.