Bengaluru:

Ayush Mhatre's 94 and Ravindra Jadeja's 77 not out went in vain as Royal Challengers Bengaluru pipped Chennai Super Kings by two runs in their IPL match here on Saturday. Chasing 214, CSK scored 211 for 5 in their 20 overs. Mhatre scored a 48-ball 94 with five sixes and nine fours while adding 114 runs with Jadeja (77 not out off 45 balls, 8x4s, 2x6s) for the second wicket.

RCB were choking the visitors but that no ball by Yash Dayal in the final over seemed to indicate that the cat might have jumped out of the bag. But the 'never say never' attitude enabled the southpaw to come back. Yash Dayal kept his calm, nailed yorkers, dismissed MS Dhoni, and importantly won the game for RCB.

For RCB, Lungi Ngidi returned with figures of 3/30. One felt that the 16th over killed the home sides's chances, with both, Ayush Mhatre (94) and Ravindra Jadeja dropped in the span of 4 balls. But the 17th over saw two back-to-back wickets by Lungi Ngidi and the game swung again.

Earlier, half-centuries from Jacob Bethell (55), Virat Kohli (62) and Romario Shepherd (53 not out) took RCB to 213 for five. While Bethell and Kohli put on 97 runs for the opening wicket to set a platform, Shepherd blasted four fours and six sixes to make 53 not out off only 14 balls, recording the fastest fifty of the season and joint second-fastest overall.

For CSK, Matheesha Pathirana found his rhythm and lengths to return 3-0-36-3.

It gave a flashback of IPL 2024 match between the two sides. CSK needed 17 from the final over to qualify. Dhoni hit one out of the ground to a short ball by Yash Dayal and the equation read 11 from 5. But Dayal came back brilliantly to dismiss Dhoni and take RCB into the playoffs. Same venue. Sometimes, to watch a movie on repeat seems so good for some, and so hurting for some.

Brief scores: RCB: 213 for 5 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 55, Virat Kohli 62, Romario Shepherd 53 not out; Matheesha Pathirana 3/36).

CSK: 211 for 5 in 20 overs (Ayush Mhatre 94, Ravindra Jadeja 77 not out; Lungi Ngidi 3/30)

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