RCB end Chennai curse!

Skipper Rajat Patidar’s half-century powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first IPL win over Chennai Super Kings at home since 2008 here on Friday. Chasing 197, CSK managed just 146-8 in 20 overs, falling short by 50 runs. Opener Rachin Ravindra top-scored for the hosts with a 31-ball 41. Pacer Josh Hazlewood finished with figures of 3-21, while Yash Dayal (2-18) and Liam Livingstone (2-28) claimed two wickets each for RCB.

Earlier, Patidar rode on his luck to make a vital 51 and along with Tim David (eight-ball 22) lifted RCB to 196-7. Patidar was dropped thrice by CSK fielders, but he made most of the reprieves to score 51 off 32 balls (4×4, 3×6), providing his side a much-needed impetus in the middle-overs, while David’s late burst made up for a mid-phase slump.

RCB players celebrate the wicket of CSK opener Rahul Tripathi

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Early fireworks from Phil Salt (32 off 16 balls, 5×4, 1×6) and Devdutt Padikkal (27 off 14 balls, 2×4, 2×6) had masked Virat Kohli’s (31, 30 balls) struggle, but their dismissals left RCB in doldrums Despite aggressive knocks from Salt and Padikkal, RCB appeared to be struggling for momentum as Kohli’s failure to accelerate — he had crawled to 14 off 20 balls by the ninth over — troubled the visiting side.

Kohli takes a blow

However, an eventful 11th over of the innings saw Kohli and RCB getting some sort of move-on after the India batter was hit flush on the helmet by a lifter from Matheesha Pathirana (2-36). Kohli attempted a pull but was beaten by the pace and the skiddy nature of the surface. He looked a bit surprised, but responded with a pulled six and a loft over midwicket for a four.

In the next over, RCB had luck favouring them when Deepak Hooda spilled a regulation catch at long-on off Ravindra Jadeja to give a reprieve to Patidar. He got another lifeline when Rahul Tripathi failed to grab a tough chance for which he had to move several paces forward at deep cover off left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad. Amid all this, the Afghan spinner got the bigger prize in the form of Kohli’s wicket, getting the struggling RCB batter caught at deep midwicket.

Skipper takes charge 

Patidar got another lifeline when an outside edge off Noor was spilled by Khaleel Ahmed as he reacted a tad late at short third man, but from there on the RCB skipper took charge. The right-handed Patidar thereon connected well to make the biggest impact with the bat in RCB’s innings.

Brief scores
RCB 196-7 in 20 overs (R Patidar 51, P Salt 32, V Kohli 31; N Ahmad 3-36, M Pathirana 2-36) beat CSK 146-8 in 20 overs (R Ravindra 41; J Hazlewood 3-21, Y Dayal 2-18, L Livingstone 2-28) by 50 runs

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