Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured a dominant 50-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the eighth match of IPL 2025 at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Rajat Patidar’s half-century, key contributions from Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, and an early breakthrough by Josh Hazlewood set the stage for RCB’s commanding performance.
RCB’s Explosive Start
After winning the toss, CSK chose to bowl first. RCB openers Virat Kohli and Phil Salt took charge. Salt smashed boundaries early, putting pressure on CSK’s bowlers. He hit back-to-back fours in the first over and welcomed Ravichandran Ashwin with a six.
After four overs, RCB stood at 37/0. Noor Ahmad removed Salt in the fifth over, but he had already scored 32 off 16 balls. Devdutt Padikkal joined Kohli at No. 3 and hit a six off Sam Curran’s bowling.
Middle-Order Contributions and Patidar’s Brilliance
Padikkal looked in good touch but fell to Ashwin’s delivery after a sharp catch by Ruturaj Gaikwad. Rajat Patidar came in at No. 4 and started finding gaps effortlessly. Kohli, struggling for fluency, managed just 31 runs before Noor Ahmad dismissed him.
With RCB at 119/3 after 13 overs, Patidar kept the scoreboard ticking. Liam Livingstone joined him but departed after a brief stay. Jitesh Sharma added quick runs before falling to Khaleel Ahmed.
Patidar completed his fifty in 30 balls, but Pathirana removed him in the 19th over. Tim David’s late blitz—22 runs off 8 balls—powered RCB to 196/7.
Hazlewood Wrecks CSK’s Top Order
Chasing 197, CSK openers Rachin Ravindra and Rahul Tripathi started cautiously. However, Josh Hazlewood struck in his first over, dismissing both Tripathi and Gaikwad. After two overs, CSK stumbled at 8/2.
Deepak Hooda attempted to rebuild but fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the fifth over. With CSK at 26/3, Sam Curran joined Ravindra, but the scoring rate remained slow.
CSK’s Struggle and RCB’s Tight Grip
By the halfway mark, CSK reached 65/4, needing an extraordinary effort to stay in the hunt. Shivam Dube and Ravindra looked to accelerate, but Yash Dayal removed both in quick succession.
With CSK at 81/6 after 13 overs, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin tried to hold the innings. The required run rate kept climbing, and Liam Livingstone dismissed Ashwin in the 16th over.
RCB Seals the Win
MS Dhoni walked in at No. 9 to massive cheers, but the target seemed out of reach. Jadeja hit a six and a four in the 18th over, but Hazlewood dismissed him in the 19th over.
Despite some late fireworks from Dhoni, CSK couldn’t recover. RCB’s disciplined bowling and aggressive batting ensured a 50-run win. Hazlewood shone with 3/21, leading RCB’s dominant all-round performance.