Bengaluru: RCB Posts Formidable Total Against CSK in Crucial IPL Match
In a critical IPL encounter on Saturday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s top-order, led by captain Faf du Plessis, delivered an impressive performance, setting a solid total of 218 for five against defending champions Chennai Super Kings.
Du Plessis played a crucial role, scoring 54 off 39 balls with three fours and three sixes, marking his fourth fifty of the season. He was ably supported by Virat Kohli (47 off 29 balls), Rajat Patidar (41 off 23 balls), and Cameron Green (38 off 17 balls), all of whom contributed significantly to RCB’s total.
Given the playoff qualification scenario, RCB, riding on a five-match winning streak, needed to win by at least 18 runs to secure their spot. CSK, however, could qualify by scoring more than 200 runs even if they lose, or if the match is abandoned.
Openers Kohli and du Plessis started positively, reaching 31 for no loss before a brief rain interruption caused a 40-minute delay. Upon resumption, CSK introduced their spinners, Maheesh Theekshana (0/25) and Mitchell Santner (0/23), who managed to contain the run rate, restricting RCB to 42 for no loss by the end of the Powerplay.
Kohli continued aggressively, hitting two sixes before being dismissed by Daryl Mitchell off Santner, leaving RCB at 78 for one in 10 overs. Du Plessis then took charge, targeting Ravindra Jadeja (0/40 in 3 overs) and scoring 20 runs off his third over, completing his fifty in 35 balls.
Rajat Patidar joined the assault, hitting Theekshana for a six. Du Plessis was run out in the 13th over, but Patidar and Green maintained the momentum, with Green notably hitting consecutive sixes off Shardul Thakur. Despite losing Patidar to Thakur, contributions from Dinesh Karthik (14) and Glenn Maxwell (16) further boosted the total.
RCB’s robust batting performance set a challenging target for CSK in this high-stakes match.
