Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis put on a dazzling display of power hitting, but it wasn't enough for Royal Challengers Bangalore as Chennai Super Kings emerged victorious by eight runs in a high-scoring Match 24 of IPL 2023 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday.
Maxwell blasted a scintillating 76 off just 36 deliveries, including three boundaries and eight massive sixes, while Du Plessis hammered 62 runs off 33 balls to steer RCB's chase of the daunting target of 227. Their sensational partnership of 126 runs for the third wicket revived RCB's innings after a shaky start at 15/2.
In spite of the heroics of Maxwell and Du Plessis, RCB ultimately fell short, ending their innings on 218/8 in 20 overs. Tushar Deshpande was the best bowler for CSK with 3-45 off four overs, playing a crucial role in restricting RCB to a manageable total.
The match saw a total of 444 runs being scored, with both teams hitting 33 sixes in a dazzling display of big-hitting cricket. Despite CSK being fortunate to get away with around six dropped catches, Ajinkya Rahane's boundary-saving effort proved to be the difference between the two teams.
Virat Kohli, who had a disappointing season so far, was dismissed for just six runs in the first over. Mahipal Lomror was also dismissed cheaply after surviving an early scare, offering a simple catch to Ruturaj Gaikwad off Deshpande's bowling.
Du Plessis and Maxwell then put on a show of power hitting, taking RCB close to the target with their spectacular partnership. However, Theekshana broke the partnership by getting Maxwell to sky a length ball, which was easily caught by MS Dhoni. Du Plessis was also dismissed soon after, top-edging Moeen Ali's delivery.
With wickets falling at regular intervals, RCB's chase lost momentum in the end. Suyash Prabhudessai played a valiant innings, hitting two sixes in the last two overs, but it was too little too late, as Pathirana took the final wicket to secure a thrilling win for CSK.
In the end, CSK's timely wickets and overall bowling effort proved to be the difference, as they maintained their position at the top of the IPL 2023 points table.
Brief scores:
Chennai Super Kings 226/6 in 20 overs (Devon Conway 83, Shivam Dube 52, Ajinkya Rahane 37; Wanindu Hasaranga 1-21) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 218/8 in 20 overs (Glenn Maxwell 76, Faf du Plessis 62, Dinesh Karthik 28; Tushar Deshpande 3-35, Matheesha Pathirana 2-42) by 8 runs.