Namaskara, Vanakkam and welcome to the match centre for today’s high voltage IPL game: RCB vs CSK. You can catch all the match updates here and on our socials on X and threads. Join us with your participation, give your reactions and opinions in the comments below. Kindly be respectful and thank you for your support.
Second innings death overs – CSK final score: 211-5
- WHAT A COMEBACK!! After being hit so mercilessly in the first two phases of the game, the fight back by this team has been incredible. This was some unreal stuff. It speaks a lot about the character in this team.
- That Suyash Sharma over changed the equation completely. He gave just 6 runs in the 18th over and put a hiccup in the chase. That added pressure to an otherwise free scoring CSK. Kudos to the bowler and Patidar for that.
- Lungi Ngidi was fantastic, finishing with 3-30 after 4 overs. He took crucial wickets without which this chase couldn’t be stopped.
- Bhuvi and Yash Dayal deserve a big round of applause. The yorkers and the singles with a wet ball was not easy at all. Full praise to the duo.
Middle phase, 6 to 16 overs – CSK: 171-2
- A memorable chasing effort CSK. A lot of credit to their batters to keep the scoreboard ticking at a frightening pace.
- Ayush Mhatre had every bowler’s number. He showed no mercy as his 94 off just 48 was the core engine of the CSK chase.
- The RCB bowlers did not have a greatest time. They were being hit even after bowling a few good balls, disrupting the completion of any good over.
Second innings after powerplay – CSK: 58-2
- Ayush Mhatre stole the show for CSK. He went after the mercurial Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, hitting 26 runs from the 3rd over.
- RCB struck back with two wickets courtesy of Krunal and Lungi Ngidi.
Target for CSK – 214
First innings death overs – RCB final score: 213-5
- That’s right, this was a demolishing finish from the Bengaluru men.
- The first two overs after 16 went for just 7 runs. The last two overs went for 54 runs!
- The ball was coming on so and so, but the man from Guyana – Romario Shepherd just outmuscled the pitch and the bowlers.
- Shepherd dug into his crease and literally swung at every ball aiming to hit it into the stratosphere. The power was incredible as he decimated the end with 53 from just 14 balls. This knock will be remembered for a long time.
- While Shepherd brought a surplus of power, what is also to be noted is how cleverly he would position himself, often outthinking the bowler. This allowed him to ride past the variations in line to find the middle of the bat plenty of times.
Middle phase, 6 to 16 overs – RCB: 151-3
- RCB’s blistering start slowly fizzled out after the departure of Bethell and Kohli.
- Padikkal and Patidar have not found their touch in the past two games. It was another forgettable innings for the pair. Jitesh Sharma too tried to go too hard but could not find the ball well.
- Credit to CSK bowlers for pulling back the runrate with their variation and adjustment.
First innings, after Powerplay – RCB: 71-0
- This was a one-sided show from the opening pair of Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell.
- Getting his second start with RCB this season, Bethell has put up an impressive knock against CSK. His 42 from just 23 in the powerplay came from a multitude of boundaries and sixes. Khaleel or Noor, it did not matter. Bethell went after every bowler. Stunning show from the young man.
- Virat Kohli didn’t take much time either to get going. VK himself got 29 from 13. This is one of the best powerplays for RCB this year and the fans in the Chinnaswamy are loving it!
Lineups: RCB vs CSK
RCB: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
CSK: Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Deepak Hooda, MS Dhoni(wk/c), Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Matheesha Pathirana.
Toss:
CSK won the toss and chose to bowl first. We just can’t catch a break with the toss at home can we RCB fans ?
Match details:
Teams: RCB vs CSK
Date: 3rd May 2025
Toss: 7:00pm IST
Match start time: 7:30pm IST
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru