Royal Challengers Bengaluru's turnaround has been nothing short of a fairytale and they added the best chapter yet, with a well-deserved spot in the play-offs.
Well, perfect will be when they lift the trophy, but qualifying for the play-offs seemed a far-fetched dream at the halfway stage.
The stage was set for a virtual knockout, and in what was one of the most epic encounters between the Southern rivals, RCB came out triumphant, handing CSK a 27 run defeat to seal the fourth spot of the IPL 2024 play-offs.
Despite a rain-interrupted match, the RCB openers gave the hosts the perfect start, before the middle order delivered once again to take the hosts to a defendable total. Cameos from Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell added the final flourish.
In reply, CSK struggled to build partnerships and wickets at crucial stages saw the reigning champions lose their chance of entering the knockout stages.
A look at the best knocks at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Saturday, May 18, 2024:
Virat Kohli
RCB's batting maestro rose to the occasion with an aggressive innings at the top of the order. His quickfire knock was instrumental in giving RCB a flying start in the Powerplay.
After a quiet first over, Kohli got going as he slapped Shardul Thakur past point for the first boundary of the match in the next over. The RCB opener stamped his authority as he smashed Tushar Deshpande for a couple of sixes in the third over.
Following a 42-minute rain delay the pitch seemed to have absorbed some moisture with the CSK spinners making hay, getting the ball to turn and bounce.
Just 11 runs came off three overs after the resumption as RCB could manage only 42 in the six overs of Powerplay.
Kohli helped RCB regain the momentum with a boundary each off left-arm spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner before he slogged the former for a six over mid wicket.
He repeated the dose on Santner for another six over mid wicket but fell to the same bowler, holing out to Daryl Mitchell at long on, who took a stunning rebound catch.
Kohli missed out on a deserved fifty but his quickfire 47 from 29 balls had ensured RCB got off to a good start, as he put on 78 runs for the opening wicket with Faf du Plessis from 58 balls.
Scoring at a rate of 162.06, Kohli's innings was peppered with three fours and four maximums. Kohli's knock saw him become the first player to score 3,000 runs in the IPL at the Chinnaswamy stadium.
Faf du Plessis
Faf top-scored with a half-century to help RCB post a huge total in the must-win match.
Despite hitting Shardul for a six and a four, du Plessis struggled to 19 from 21 balls in the Powerplay as he was unable to come to grips against the spinners after the rain break.
After Kohli's departure in the 10th over, du Plessis suddenly rediscovered his touch as he played some stunning shots to entertain the home fans.
Jadeja was at the receiving end as the South African hammered him for a four through the covers followed by sixes off the last two balls, in the 11th over.
He brought up his fifty from 35 balls before he was unlucky to be run out at the non-striker's end as Rajat Patidar's straight drive was deflected onto the stumps by Mitchell Santner on his follow through.
Du Plessis walked back after hitting a vital 54 from 39 balls, with three sixes and as many fours, which helped RCB seize the momentum in the middle overs.
Rajat Patidar
Patidar again turned it on in the middle overs for RCB.
He warmed up nicely as he pulled spinner Mahesh Theekshana straight down the ground for a six. Pacer Simarjeet Singh paid for erring with his line. The short ball on the leg side was swatted by Patidar over fine leg for a six.
Patidar survived a review for leg before when he missed the sweep off Shardul in the 16th over.
The RCB right-hander hammered Deshpande over long on for a six and heaved the same bowler over mid wicket for another maximum off the last ball of the over.
Thakur, who had gone for plenty, got some relief when he got Patidar after he mistimed the full toss, having stroked 41 from 23 balls, with four sixes and two fours.
Patidar put on 71 runs from 28 balls for the third wicket with Cameron Green.
Cameron Green
Green's cameo provided the impetus with the bat for RCB in the death overs.
He made his intent clear as he hammered pacer Simarjeet's overpitched delivery through the covers for a four, in the 15th over and then lofted Theekshana straight down the ground for another four in the next over.
Green made most of the full toss from Shardul to cart it over long on for a six before he was dropped off the final ball of the over by Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Thakur suffered further as Green slammed back-to-back sixes off the CSK pacer in the 18th over.
Green could watch in frustration as he got the strike for just two balls in the last two overs. His unbeaten 37 from 16 balls proved to be a major factor in RCB posting 218/5, as 80 runs came from the last five overs.
Rachin Ravindra
The 'Bengaluru' boy struck his maiden IPL half-century, but in vain. CSK needed 219 to win and 201 to qualify for the play-offs. But the defending champions got off to a rocky start, with Ruturaj Gaikwad departing for a duck on the very first ball of the chase.
After getting off the mark with a single, Ravindra showed his intent early as he picked up Glenn Maxwell's length ball early and cut it through point to end the first over with a boundary.
Ravindra then drove Siraj through cover and point to pick up another boundary in the next over. Following Daryl Mitchell's dismissal in the third over, the young Kiwi batter paired up with Ajinkya Rahane to put CSK's chase back on track. With Rahane and Ravindra adding 66 off 41, CSK got their chase back on track.
Ravindra collected a couple of boundaries off Siraj and Yash Dayal, before getting his first maximum off Karn Sharma in the 8th over. Ravindra got down on one knee and slog-swept it over mid wicket and into the stands for his first maximum of the night.
Though the scoring dropped after Rahane's dismissal in the 9th over, Ravindra pressed on the accelerator with a boundary followed by two maximums off Lockie Ferguson.
Ravindra brought up his maiden IPL half-century with a six over deep mid wicket.
The Kiwi batter followed it up with another cracking six over short third this time as he kept CSK in the game. But a mix-up with Dube in the 13th over saw Ravindra run out for 61 off 37. The Kiwi batter lit up the Bengaluru sky with three maximums and five boundaries, but in vain.
Ravindra Jadeja
After one Ravindra departed, it was another Ravindra who shouldered the responsibility of CSK's chase. After getting off the mark with a quick couple, Jadeja timed a perfect drive past mid off to get his first boundary. With M S Dhoni at the other end, the two CSK veterans put up a brave fight.
With CSK needing 63 from the final four overs to qualify, Jadeja got the 17th over underway with a smashing six over long-off off Yash Dayal. In the next over, Jadeja welcomed Siraj with a six launched down the ground and then collected a boundary over backward point to take it down to the wire.
In the 19th over, Jadeja pulled Ferguson's short ball for a boundary and then ended the over with a maximum over mid wicket. With Jadeja and Dhoni's heroics CSK needed 17 off the final over to qualify for the play-offs.
After Dhoni got the final over underway with a maximum and departed on the next, Jadeja found himself on strike, with CSK needing 10 off 2. But a brilliant effort from Yash Dayal saw Jadeja's 22-ball 42 go in vain as RCB knocked CSK out of the tournament and grabbed the final play-offs berth.
Last year, needing 10 off 2 to win the title, Jadeja took CSK home, but this year, he failed to repeat the feat as they missed out on a play-off berth.
CSK Vs RCB: Who Played The Best Knock?
