In a stunning twist of fate, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) continued their remarkable streak, clinching a playoff berth after an electrifying six-match winning spree. Led by Faf du Plessis, they dashed Chennai Super Kings’ hopes of defending their title, dominating a crucial IPL 2024 league encounter at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, May 18.
Spearheaded by an all-round batting spectacle, orchestrated by du Plessis and Virat Kohli, RCB amassed a formidable total of 218 and defended it with a 27-run victory margin. The match witnessed a dramatic turn of events, with RCB thwarting CSK’s bid to secure 201 runs, a target that would have secured the five-time champions a playoff spot.
MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja waged a valiant battle after CSK found themselves at 129 for 6 in 16 overs. The duo conjured a breathtaking 61-run partnership in just 26 balls for the 7th wicket, bringing the equation down to 17 runs in the final over. Yash Dayal shouldered the daunting task of delivering the last over and did so with nerve-wracking composure.
WATCH – Faf du Plessisβ Spectacular Flying Catch Dismisses Mitchell Santner
Amidst mounting tension, MS Dhoni smashed the first delivery of the final over for a towering six, igniting hopes of a miraculous CSK victory. However, Yash Dayal swiftly dismantled those hopes by dismissing Dhoni with the very next delivery, securing RCB’s triumphant passage to the playoffs.
Nail-biting overs like these π
Describe your final over emotions with an emoji π½
Recap the match on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema π»π±#TATAIPL | #RCBvCSK pic.twitter.com/XYVYvXfton
β IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2024
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πππ πππ ππππ πππ ππππππ π π β€οΈ#TATAIPL #RCBvCSK #IPLonJioCinema pic.twitter.com/JUC3BNqu67
β JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 18, 2024
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Aaarrr Ceeee Beeee β€οΈπ
6οΈβ£ in a row for Royal Challengers Bengaluru β€οΈ
They make a thumping entry into the #TATAIPL 2024 Playoffs π
Scorecard βΆοΈ https://t.co/7RQR7B2jpC#RCBvCSK | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/otq5KjUMXy
β IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2024
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RCB’s astonishing turnaround saw them secure six consecutive victories, marking a spectacular late-season resurgence. After a dismal start of just one win in their initial eight matches, they scripted history by becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs with 14 points in a season.
WATCH – Virat Kohliβs Spectacular Catch Sparks Jubilation
Earlier in the day, the dynamic duo of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis showcased their batting prowess, capitalizing on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s rare and timely toss win in their final league encounter. Despite looming rain threats, the toss commenced punctually, with a downpour occurring just before proceedings. However, the impeccable drainage system at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium ensured an uninterrupted start. While du Plessis initially struggled, Kohli’s aggressive onslaught in the powerplay set the tone.
In a breathtaking display of power-hitting, Kohli unleashed a mammoth 98-meter six off Tushar Deshpande in the third over, shattering stadium records. Despite a rain interruption, RCB’s openers and the CSK fielders returned post the 40-minute break, with CSK deploying spin to exploit the increasingly spin-friendly conditions.
RCB was down and out. Even Virat said then the players will now play without pressure (of Qualifying) and for the fans: they are cornered tigers. Forget Playoffs, RCB, with this momentum, are my most favourites to win this yearβs IPL#RCBvsCSK
β Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) May 18, 2024
Church street right now in Bengaluru!
UNREAL FANDOM! β€οΈπ@RCBTweets #RCBvsCSK pic.twitter.com/dqJ8VYeDTwβ Navneeth Krishna (@navkrish55) May 18, 2024
RCB fans after RCB qualifies for Playoffs ππ#RCBvsCSKpic.twitter.com/IM0WiXw7oj
β Desi Bhayo (@desi_bhayo88) May 18, 2024
Virat kohli & Team going to hotel from ground. #RCBvsCSK #Viratkohli pic.twitter.com/rR311xqapV
β Prayag (@theprayagtiwari) May 18, 2024
From the last position to playoffs, just like faf: #RCBvsCSKpic.twitter.com/RdeTPb2mgf
β Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) May 18, 2024
RCB INTO PLAYOFFS π₯
Only rcb fans are allowed to like this tweet β₯β₯β₯#RCBvsCSK pic.twitter.com/qdl4ZAGnmR pic.twitter.com/upHy9Kx18L
β π§’1β£0β£ (@CapXSid) May 18, 2024
RCB INTO PLAYOFFS π₯ #RCBvsCSK
β V I P E R (@VIPERoffl) May 18, 2024
Craziest Endingπ₯π #RCBvsCSK pic.twitter.com/Y66n7Y5Fmt
β Johnnie Walker (@Johnnie5ir) May 18, 2024