Royal Challengers inch closer to playoffs with Chennai romp

Yash Dayal did it again. A year after silencing the Chinnaswamy crowd by denying MS Dhoni a fairytale finish, the left-arm seamer turned executioner once more — this time holding his nerve in a cauldron of noise to bowl Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a two-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a last-over thriller in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Saturday.

With 15 required off the final over, the equation tilted dramatically after Dayal bowled a high full toss that Shivam Dube launched for six, reducing the equation to six off three balls. But the 26-year-old stayed ice-cold, nailing three perfect yorkers to keep CSK down to just four runs. Dayal finished with figures of 2 for 36 and was instantly mobbed by teammates as the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium erupted in deafening celebration.

The victory – RCB’s sixth on the bounce – took them to 16 points and within touching distance of the playoffs. It also marked a historic moment: for the first time ever, RCB completed a league double over CSK in the IPL.

But the win wouldn’t have been possible without Romario Shepherd’s brute-force finish earlier in the evening. Walking in with RCB stuttering at 157/5 in the 18th over, Shepherd tore apart CSK’s vaunted death bowling. His 14-ball 50 – the joint second-fastest in IPL history – lifted the hosts to a daunting 213/5, their highest total at home this season.

RCB had started strong after being put in to bat. Debutant Jacob Bethell and the ever-dependable Virat Kohli put up 71 runs in the power-play, with Bethell smashing a 28-ball fifty and Kohli bringing up his 62nd IPL half-century.

The latter’s knock also took him past 500 runs this season and reclaimed the Orange Cap. Kohli’s 50 against CSK further extended his record as the leading run-scorer against a single IPL franchise, now beyond 1,150 runs.

However, once Kohli departed for 62 off 33, RCB lost their way. Matheesha Pathirana and Sam Curran turned the screws in the middle overs, conceding just 33 runs in five overs and picking up two wickets. With the innings floundering, Shepherd launched an extraordinary assault.

In the 19th over, he plundered 33 off Khaleel Ahmed – four sixes, a no-ball, and a four. Pathirana wasn’t spared either as the final over went for 23. Shepherd’s blitz ended unbeaten on 54 off 14, including four fours and six sixes, lifting RCB to 213 – a total that had seemed out of reach not long before.

CSK’s chase got off to a cautious start with just 23 runs in the first three overs. But 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre, playing only his fourth IPL match, changed the momentum with a stunning assault on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, taking 26 runs in a single over.

He soon brought up his maiden IPL fifty off just 25 balls and went on to smash 94 off 48, becoming the third-youngest player to score a fifty in the league’s history.

His clean hitting – including two sixes off Shepherd and a majestic 98m pull – brought CSK back into the contest. At the 10-over mark, CSK were 106/2 – their best of the season. Ravindra Jadeja promoted to No. 4, matched Mhatre’s aggression with a fluent 50 off 29, attacking both pace and spin.

But just when it looked like CSK were cruising, Ngidi turned the game. He removed Mhatre with a well-disguised slower ball and trapped Dewald Brevis lbw the very next delivery. Controversy followed as CSK were denied a review despite confusion over the timer display. Replays showed Brevis might have survived, but the decision stood, sparking animated protests from Jadeja.

Still, CSK fought back. Jadeja slammed a 109m six, and when Dhoni walked in, the Chinnaswamy crowd went quiet. He smacked Bhuvneshwar for a six to keep the hopes alive. The drama hit peak levels in the 20th over. With Kohli dropping a sitter at extra cover and a waist-high full toss dispatched for six, it seemed like Dhoni’s magic was on the cards.

But Dayal, for the second consecutive year, held his nerve against the legendary finisher. A pair of searing yorkers followed by another toe-crusher proved enough. Dhoni was caught plumb in front on the final ball – a review showed three reds, and with it, RCB sealed a famous win. For RCB, it’s a statement of resurgence – six wins in a row, 16 points, and a strong claim to a playoff berth.

Agencies