The 2024 season of the Tata IPL starts with a Grand Opening Ceremony. In the opening game, defending Champions Chennai Super Kings face off against their Southern counterparts, Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Seventeenth edition of the Indian Premier League flags off at the Yellow Den in MA Chidambaram Stadium Chepauk. However, not much to the surprise of many, CSK beat RCB by six wickets to open their campaign on a winning note.
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Ruturaj Gaikward, a rising star and opening batsman for the Yellow Army, is the new leader of the defending champions and the most successful team in the IPL. With new challenges and a lot of baggage on their shoulder, It’s a season of testing waters for Gaikward.
Match Report: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings
In a thrilling encounter between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, CSK emerged victorious with six wickets and eight balls to spare.
Winning the toss, Royal Challengers opted to bat first but struggled to get going against a disciplined bowling attack from Super Kings. Mustafizur Rahman was the pick of the bowlers, scalping four crucial wickets and restricting the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a modest total of 173/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Glenn Maxwell fell cheaply, failing to capitalize on their starts. Dinesh Karthik provided some resistance with 38 runs off 26 balls, while Anuj Rawat’s aggressive knock of 48 off 25 balls propelled Royal Challengers to a respectable total.
Chasing 174 for victory, Super Kings got off to a shaky start, losing Ruturaj Gaikwad early. However, a brilliant partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Ajinkya Rahane steadied the innings. Ravindra’s explosive innings of 37 off 15 balls and Rahane’s composed 27 laid the foundation for the chase.
Despite losing a few wickets in quick succession, the Super Kings kept their nerve with contributions from Daryl Mitchell and Shivam Dube. Mustafizur’s clinical performance with the ball, taking crucial wickets, was one of the major contributions to the team’s victory, which earned him the Player of the Match award.
Ultimately, Chennai Super Kings’ clinical performance showcased their depth and resilience. On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore will need to regroup and address their batting woes to bounce back in the tournament.
READ MORE: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) History, Legends, fanbase
However, as we advance, CSK will face former Champions Gujrat Titans next on the 26th of March. Moreover, RCB is headed to their home ground, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, to face Punjab Kings on 25th March.
