IPL 2021: Bowlers steal the thunder as Chennai Super Kings crush Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets


IPL 2021: Bowlers steal the thunder as Chennai Super Kings crush Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s poor show in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues. The team lost their second consecutive game in the UAE as they were beaten by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 35th match of the Indian Premier League by six wickets. It was the bowling unit that steered CSK to victory as they managed to keep RCB’s decorated batting line-up quiet. 

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The mouth-watering contest between RCB and CSK saw the coin flipping in the favor of Yellow Army skipper MS Dhoni. Put to bat first, Bangalore got off to a blistering start. The opening pair of skipper Virat Kohli and young Devdutt Padikkal gave RCB a dream start by opting for an aggressive approach.

Kohli and Padikkal stitched a crucial 111-run stand for the first wicket in 13.1 overs. While many believed that the Men in Red and Gold were heading towards a mammoth score, there was a collapse of Bangalore’s batting line-up. Virat’s wicket in the 14th over resulted in the entire batting unit crumbling like a pack of cards. 

DJ Bravo again emerges as the wrecker-in-chief for Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings
DJ Bravo

Despite getting a sensational start, Challengers ended up with just 156 runs in their 20 overs. Padikkal was the highest run-scorer with 70 runs to his credit while Virat also made a significant contribution by playing a knock of 53 runs off 41 deliveries. Meanwhile, for the Super Kings, it was DJ Bravo who made the most impact. 

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The West Indies all-rounder literally changed the whole game by picking three wickets while giving just 24 runs in his four overs. Apart from Bravo, it was Shardul Thakur who impressed the most with his bowling skills. The decorated all-rounder picked two crucial wickets of Padikkal and AB de Villiers. 

Batting in the second innings, the Super Kings comfortably chased the score within 18.1 overs. Rurturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis gave the team a fine start in the powerplay while MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina applied the finishing touched to warp up the game. With the victory, Chennai Super Kings has again claimed the top position in the points table. 

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