Rajat’s face at the toss said it all that his team was ready to give it back today. They have a history they would like to forget here. When Ruturaj won the toss, the job was getting even tougher or so many thought but in himself, Rajat knew if he could get a good total they could stun CSK here. The difference between both sides today was the intent early on with the bat. While Salt, Padikkal and Patidar always looked positive. Kohli picked up after a blow on the helmet and they never stopped trying despite losing wickets or catches being put down. Their dictionary didn’t have the word caution. It was only about aggression and it paid dividends. This gave them an above par total and to be honest, CSK did have it in them to chase this down but Hazlewood used the Chepauk bounce so beautifully to puncture the yellow hearts in his very first over.
Ruturaj Gaikwad: To be honest, I still feel 170 was a par score on this wicket. It wasn’t that great to bat. Bad day in the fielding cost us really badly. At the end of the day, when you are chasing 170, you bat differently. You have little bit time when you go in to bat. When you’re chasing 20 runs extra on a wicket where you know it’s going to be a little bit sticky and it’s going to stop after the ball gets old, you have to bat slightly differently in the powerplay. It got a little bit slower and sticky. The new ball was sticking a lot until the five overs, don’t really know how it happened. Rahul backed his shot, I went and backed it; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. There are times where you have a par score in your mind and probably when you’re chasing 20 runs extra, you always want to be a step ahead of the game. That’s what the thinking was, didn’t really work out. Still happy that we didn’t lose by a big margin and at the end it was just 50 runs.Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 50 runs Definitely a different scenario when you have three world-class spinners in your team, you want the new batters to face them. That’s where the game changes a lot. They just kept going, we dropped catches at crucial times and then there was always an extra six or extra boundary that was coming after that. The momentum kept going and didn’t stop till the final over and Royal Challengers Bengaluru . There’s a long flight to Guwahati, we have to turn up mentally. We’re going to have bad day in batting and bowling in a tournament like IPL but I feel the fielding has to improve a lot and we should come back stronger in the fielding department.Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 50 runs Rachin wasn’t exactly flowing but he held one end up. Hooda just couldn’t move along. Dube promised for a while but Dayal’s double-strike almost killed the game. CSK knew they were out of the contest and just batted time. Ashwin tried, Jadeja got a few, Dhoni managed late hits but in general the surrender was already done. A complete display by RCB to outclass CSK in their own den.
Josh Hazlewood: It (the ball is coming out nicely) is. I am nice and fresh. As a group we were outstanding. We used the conditions nicely against KKR and did the same tonight. With this wicket it was a little bit up and down, two-paced and we tried to hit that in between length. The energy is always great at RCB and it has led into the fielding group, it really lifts us. Any time you get injured you feel down, but I used it wisely, doing fitness and being fresh. Having a left-armer (Yash Dayal) is crucial and we see that with every team, he has a good change of pace and is a class act.
Rajat Patidar | PoTM Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 50 runs
It was a good total on this surface. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 50 runs Ball was stopping a bit and it wasn’t easy for batters. It’s always special playing at Chepauk against Chennai because of the fans. Not only CSK but every team, it is nice to play in their home ground. We were targetting around 200 because we knew it wasn’t easy to chase. My goal was clear that as long as I was there I will keep trying every ball. We have not changed the batting line up it was the same from the last game. The track was pretty much helpful for spinners. We wanted to use spinners early and the way Livingstone came and bowled was outstanding. It was the game changing moment (Hazlewood’s first over and the new ball bowling) because I think we got 2-3 wickets in the powerplay, t was amazing to see how they bowled the hard length consistently.
Most runs in an IPL match without a 50+ partnership
346 – RR v RCB, Ahmedabad, 2024
342 – CSK v RCB, Chennai, 2025*
331 – CSK v RR, Wankhede, 2021
327 – MI v PBKS, Brabourne, 2010
325 – RCB vs DC, Bengaluru, 2023
Most games missed for a team between two appearances in T20s
238 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar for RCB (2009-2025)*
225 – Karn Sharma for RCB (2009-2023)
206 – Mandeep Singh for KKR (2010-2023)
164 – Benny Howell for Hampshire (2011-2023)
155 – Shikhar Dhawan for DD/DC (2008-2019)
Most runs for CSK in the IPL
4699 – MS Dhoni (204 inns)*
4687 – Suresh Raina (171 inns)
2721 – Faf du Plessis (86 inns)
2433 – Ruturaj Gaikwad (67 inns)
1939 – Ravindra Jadeja (127 inns)
Two sweet victories for RCB Royal Challengers Bengaluruin the rivalry since last year and this one will be pretty special. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 50 runs They rode their luck but importantly, they had the plans and setup to be bossy. In fact it was one-sided after a point and lacked fight. CSK are known for consistency. They don’t overreact to wins or losses. They could still keep things simple and back their players but with them travelling away will they make changes? Surely yes one feels. RCB’s next assignment is at home so they will be super excited about leaving to Bengaluru as table-toppers from here. That’s it about today but tomorrow MI are challenging GT in Ahmedabad. Both teams didn’t have the first game going their way. It should be a fun game. Rest well and join us back in the evening. Take care!
Stats by Shashikant Singh
– Since 2019, each of RCB’s last five wins against CSK have come while defending totals.
– RCB register their first win against CSK at Chepauk after 6155 days. Their only win in nine previous attempts here came in the inaugural edition back in 2008.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured a commanding 50-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 28, 2025. This win marks RCB’s first triumph at this venue since 2008, ending a 17-year drought.
Batting first, RCB posted a competitive total of 196 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Rajat Patidar led from the front, scoring a brisk 51 off 32 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award. Phil Salt contributed 32 runs off 16 deliveries, providing a solid start. For CSK, spinner Noor Ahmad was the standout bowler, claiming 3 wickets for 36 runs, while Matheesha Pathirana chipped in with 2 wickets for 36 runs.
In response, CSK struggled to build momentum, managing 146 for 8 in their 20 overs. Rachin Ravindra top-scored with 41 runs off 31 balls. RCB’s bowling attack was spearheaded by Josh Hazlewood, who delivered an impressive spell, taking 3 wickets for 21 runs. Yash Dayal also made a significant impact, securing 2 wickets for just 18 runs in his 3-over spell.