GAIKWAD BATS THROUGH AS CSK BEAT RCB BY 8 WICKETS

Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad anchored the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) innings as a clinical performance from them, a rarity this season, and helped them to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Dubai International Stadium. CSK have thus kept their record of not being beaten by RCB twice in an Indian Premier League (IPL) season intact as they recorded just their fourth win of the season.

Gaikwad ended the match with a six as he remained unbeaten on 65 off 51 balls, his innings punctuated by four fours and three sixes. CSK ended their innings on 150/2 in reply to RCB’s 145/6.

On what was a sluggish batting track, CSK ensured they got good partnerships at every wicket. Gaikwad shared a 46-run stand with his opening partner Faf du Plessis after which Ambati Rayudu put up 67 with Gaikwad for the second. CSK captain M.S. Dhoni then stuck all the way through to the end with Gaikwad with the third wicket stand between them being unbeaten on 35.

Earlier, Virat Kohli and A.B. de Villiers played knocks of 50 and 39 respectively as RCB posted a total of 145/6 in the allotted twenty overs.

Opting to bat first, RCB got off to a steady start as openers Devdutt Padikkal and Aaron Finch put on 31 runs for the first wicket, however, CSK came back strongly as Sam Curran dismissed Finch (15) in the fourth over of the innings. In the seventh over of the innings, Padikkal (22) was also sent back to the pavilion. Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad combined at the boundary fence to produce a spectacular catch off the bowling of Mitchell Santner, reducing RCB to 46/2.

A.B. de Villiers and Virat Kohli then got together at the crease and the duo retrieved the innings for RCB. Both batsmen played out the middle overs with caution and accumulated runs to keep the scoreboard ticking for RCB. Both batsmen put on a partnership of 82 runs. However, in search of some quick runs, de Villiers (39) lost his wicket in the 18th over as he was sent back to the pavilion by Deepak Chahar. In the penultimate over, Kohli (50) and Moeen Ali (1) were also sent back to the pavilion by Sam Curran, reducing RCB to 138/5.

In the final over, CSK did not concede many runs, and Deepak Chahar bowled a tight over, restricting RCB to under the 150-run mark. For CSK, Sam Curran scalped three wickets.

In fact, CSK conceded just 20 runs and took four wickets in the last three overs of the innings after RCB looked set for a big total during captain Kohli and de Villiers’ 82-run stand for the third wicket.

Brief scores: RCB 145/6 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 50, AB de Villiers 39; Sam Curran 3/19) vs CSK 150/2 in 18.4 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 65 not out, Ambati Rayudu 39; Yuzvendra Chahal 1/21)