RCB’s remarkable turnaround began with a solid opening stand between Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. Despite facing challenging conditions after rain interrupted their innings, the duo put up 78 runs in 58 balls. Kohli departed on 47, but du Plessis continued his dominance, collaborating with Rajat Patidar for a 35-run partnership.
Cameron Green and Patidar then took charge, adding 71 runs in just 28 balls for the third wicket. Green remained unbeaten on 38 off 17, while Patidar fell on 41 off 23. Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell provided the finishing touches, scoring 14 off six balls and 16 off five balls, respectively, to propel RCB to a formidable total of 218/5 in 20 overs.
CSK’s chase got off to a disastrous start, losing their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, off the very first ball. They managed to recover slightly with a 66-run stand between Rachin Ravindra and Ajinkya Rahane, but that partnership was broken by Lockie Ferguson in the 10th over. Ravindra continued to shine, scoring his maiden IPL half-century, but a mix-up with Shivam Dube resulted in his run-out.
With the match seemingly slipping away from CSK, veterans Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni stepped up. They stitched together a 61-run partnership in just 27 balls, giving CSK a glimmer of hope. However, Dhoni departed on 25 off 13 balls in the 19th over, leaving CSK needing 17 runs to qualify for the playoffs in the final over.
Despite Dhoni’s six off the first ball of the final over, the young Akash Deep kept his composure and conceded only one more run, securing a remarkable victory for RCB. This historic comeback is a testament to RCB’s fighting spirit and resilience, as they overcame adversity to reach the playoffs.
