Alright, so RCB went to Chennai, a place they haven’t had much luck in for years, and decided to really go for it. They put up a solid 196 for 7, which on that slightly tricky pitch, was a pretty good effort.
Rajat Patidar, man, he had a rollercoaster of an innings. He got a lucky break early on, and then seemed to be living on the edge, with a few close calls. But, when he got going, he really got going, smashing three sixes in his 51. You could tell he was determined to make it count.
Then there was Noor Ahmad. That guy’s on fire! He’s just picking up wickets like they’re going out of style. Three more here, and he’s right up there in the Purple Cap race. He was really getting the ball to do some weird things on that pitch.
CSK’s bowlers did their best to keep things tight. Khaleel Ahmed was really economical, getting some early movement and then keeping things under control. Pathirana came in late and bowled a brilliant 19th over, just when RCB were trying to accelerate, and basically shut them down.
But, you know how it is, someone always has a late flourish. Tim David, he just went after Sam Curran in the last over, three big sixes. It was a bit of a late surge that probably made RCB feel a lot better about their total.
Ashwin and Jadeja, usually so reliable, they got hit around a bit. RCB were clearly trying to take them out of the game. Ashwin did get Padikkal’s wicket, which was some consolation. And of course, Noor and Dhoni, well, they put on a show. That stumping, it was just classic Dhoni. Lightning fast.
So, 196 on a pitch that wasn’t exactly a batting paradise. It’s going to be a heck of a chase. You could feel the tension building, everyone wondering if RCB could finally break that Chennai curse.