IPL 2023: Despite sloppy out-fielding, Chennai somehow beat spirited Bangalore side by 8 runs

Chennai Super Kings had a poor time in the outfield as they dropped four crucial catches, but someone beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight runs in the end. Requiring 19th off the final over, Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana defended the target and even got rid of RCB’s impact player, Suyash Prabhudessai, to pick up the win for his team and take two points home. 

After being asked to bat first, Chennai lost opener Ruturaj Gaikwad on three. Devon Conway and Ajinkya Rahane put the fifth gear inside the Powerplay as they stitched a 74-run stand for the second wicket. Following Rahane’s dismissal, Shivam Dube, who enjoys scoring against RCB, that too at M Chinnaswamy, began the onslaught from the word go. 

Two left-handers made bowlers’ life miserable in the middle as they hammered at least a four or a six in each over. That did put RCB’s back against the wall, and CSK looked like registering a huge total on the board. However, considering how fast things can change in a T20 game – it did so in this match also, as RCB picked a few wickets during the fag to pull CSK’s momentum back.

Despite all efforts, they still let CSK score a mammoth 226 for six in 20 overs.

In reply, they got off to the worst possible start, with star batter Virat Kohli getting bowled in the first over itself. Mahipal Lomror also departed on a duck in Deshpande’s over, as RCB was reeling at 15 for two at one stage.

From that point onwards, no one would have thought that they will be the favourites to win the match, which was the case.

Captain Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell took the onus and started going after the CSK bowlers. They ran riot as both completed their fifties inside 25 balls. At that point, it looked like CSK might fall despite that gigantic total on the board. As fate would have it, the spinners brought CSK back into the game with big wickets of Faf and Maxwell; it was about time, before Chennai put RCB under pressure. 

Though a late blitz from the experienced Dinesh Karthik and even the impact player – Suyash Prabhudessai kept RCB afloat in the chase, a cluster of wickets in the final three overs proved too costly as they lost the match by eight runs.

With this win, Chennai has moved to third place on the points table with three wins in five games.