19 May,2024 08:32 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli
In a nail-biting match on Saturday evening, Faf du Plessis led team Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Ruturaj Gaikwad's Chennai Super Kings to enter the play-offs. With this defeat, MS Dhoni's CSK bid adieu to the season as they got eliminated from the play-offs. RCB's stunning 27-run win against CSK left fans of the team emotional as they revived their hopes of winning the cup this season.
As Virat Kohli who has been a part of the team since the beginning of IPL got teary-eyed after the win, his wife and actress Anushka Sharma also shared the feeling. Jumping in joy from the stands was Anushka Sharma as RCB won the match on Saturday night. The 'Zero' actress also got teary-eyed as she celebrated the big win along with other RCB fans at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru.
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About the match:
After captain Faf du Plessis (54), Virat Kohli (47), Rajat Patidar (41), and Cameron Green (38 not out) excelled in a collective batting show to post a challenging 218/5, with a 40-minute rain interval in between, RCB then had CSK in trouble right from the start of the chase.
Though Rachin Ravindra made 61 which Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni shared a 61-run stand off 27 balls, it wasn't enough as CSK were restricted to 191/7 to bow out of the competition, as RCB got their sixth consecutive win of the competition to grab the last remaining playoffs spot.
It's the fourth time RCB entered the IPL playoffs in the last five seasons and they will now play the Eliminator on May 23 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. RCB have also become the first team to qualify for the playoffs with seven wins in a 10-team competition.
Kohli and du Plessis set the platform for the big total through the 78-run opening stand. It was followed by Patidar and Green having a 71-run association for the third wicket, with Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell firing in late cameos to get a massive total on board for RCB.
Tournament's leading run-getter Kohli began in stunning fashion with a square drive off Shardul Thakur for four, before skipper Faf du Plessis drove the all-rounder for four more and thumped a six over the bowler's head.
Kohli used his supple wrists to flick Tushar Deshpande for six, before pulling him for another maximum in the third over, while also completing 3000 runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Just as Maheesh Theekshana was to bowl the fourth over, heavy showers lashed the venue and forced players as well as on-field umpires to get off the field, with covers quickly covering the field of play.
After 40 minutes of interruption, with moisture caused by rain seeping into the pitch, Theekshana and Mitchell Santner found turn, grip, and bounce. It meant RCB didn't get many runs and ended their power play at 42/0. Despite Kohli striking some lovely boundaries off Santner and Ravindra Jadeja, he fell three runs short of his fifty when he whipped uppishly to wide long-on off the former.
Du Plessis continued the attack by hitting Jadeja for four and back-to-back sixes in his third over before reaching his fifty. But his knock ended when Santner got a finger off a straight drive from Patidar before the ball hit the stumps at the bowler's end, catching the batter short of the crease. After several replays, umpire Michael Gough confirmed du Plessis' bat was in the air and adjudged him out for 54 off 39 balls.
In reply, CSK were never in the hunt to chase down 219 from the word go. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad fell for a golden duck after top-edging a short ball straight to short fine leg off Maxwell. Daryl Mitchell couldn't do much, lasting just six balls before miscuing a loft to mid-off against Dayal.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 218/5 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 54, Virat Kohli 47; Shardul Thakur 2-61, Mitchell Santner 1-23) beat Chennai Super Kings 191/7 in 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 61, Ravindra Jadeja 42 not out; Yash Dayal 2-42, Cameron Green 1-18) by 27 runs.