IPL 2015 RCB v CSK Highlights: Ashish Nehra Dream Spell Demolishes Royal Challengers Bangalore
Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 27 runs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Suresh Raina posted a brilliant half century and Ashish Nehra came up with a dream spell to demolish Bangalore. Catch all the highlights here.
Ashish Nehra produced a dream spell to restrict Royal Challengers Bangalore to 154/8 and helped the Super Kings hand them a 27-run defeat. Chasing a daunting 182 to win, the Bangalore batsmen couldn't put up a brave face in front of some inspired bowling from Nehra. He was backed up by some cracking fielding from the Super Kings. Virat Kohli was the lone ranger who threw a challenge at Chennai with a fighting half century.
Earlier, Virat Kohli won the toss and invited Super Kings to bat. They lost Brendon McCullum early but an onslaught from Dwayne Smith and Suresh Raina left the RCB bowlers clueless. Although the spinners brought Bangalore back in the game, a total of 181/8 was daunting enough on a slow Chinnaswamy track.
Catch all the highlights here (Scorecard | Stats | Fixtures | Points Table)
23:57 (IST): That's it! CSK win by 27 runs. Superb performance in the field by the Super Kings. Kohli was the lone ranger for Bangalore but tonight was all about Ashish Nehra.
23:50 (IST): 35 runs required off the last over.
23:42 (IST): 4-0-10-4...Ashish Nehra, take a bow! Stunning spell from the left-hander.
23:40 (IST): OUT! On a hat-trick Nehra! Harshal gone for a duck. RCB 123/7 (16.2 overs).
23:38 (IST): OUT! Kohli (51) falls to Nehra. Good catch from Smith at mid wicket fence. RCB 123/6 (16.1)
23:35 (IST):SIX and FIFTY for Virat Kohli! 18th in the IPL. Game not over yet! RCB 122/5 (15.5 overs)
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23:29 (IST): FOUR! Kohli slashes that through covers. Not over yet, not till the RCB captain is in.
23:26 (IST): OUT! Sarfaraz Khan (11) finds Mohit at deep mid wicket. Jadeja strikes! Sarfaraz cracks that but hits straight to the fielder. RCB 97/5 (13.3 overs)
23:24 (IST): SIX! Inside out and bang! What a shot from Sarfaraz Khan.
23:21 (IST): Kohli is stuck with a massive task here. He is with a 17-year-old youngster and Super Kings are fielding with great intensity. RCB 89/4 after 13 overs.
23:15 (IST): RUN OUT! Wow! Dhoni runs out De Villiers brilliantly for 14. MS Dhoni collects the ball in front of the stumps and flicks the ball on to the stumps - fantastic work! He did it in the World Cup and now does it again! RCB 85/4 (11.3 overs)
23:12 (IST): SIX! UP, UP and AWAY! AB de Villiers opens his shoulders and sends the ball sailing into the night sky. What a stunning hit!
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23:05 (IST): FOUR! Kohli cuts Jadeja and Oh-uh! Nehra lets it through his legs. Dhoni is not impressed!
23:01 (IST): OUT! Another great catch. CSK are flying everywhere and catching everything. Bravo this time dives full stretch forward at long on and scoops up Karthik (10) off Pandey. Gets up and does his jig as well! Easy as that! RCB 61/3 (8.2 overs)
22:57 (IST): FOUR! Full stretch and cover drive - vintage Kohli on display. 17 runs off that Ashwin over.
22:56 (IST): SIX! Kohli gets into the act, just short of good length from Ashwin and Kohli flicks it over mid-wicket.
22:55 (IST): FOUR! Short, on leg stump from Ashwin and Karthik sweeps it to the fine leg fence.
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22:46 (IST): Two back-to-back tight overs from CSK. Nehra and Mohit are tightening the noose on Kohli and Karthik. RCB 38/2 after 6 over.
22:37 (IST): BOWLED! Through the gate! Nehra knocks Rossouw over with an absolute peach of a delivery! RCB 33/2 (4)
22:36 (IST): WHAT A CATCH! Du Plessis takes a stunner to dismiss Bisla (17). How did he catch that? Back peddling at mid off, he throws himself backward and takes a one-handed catch! Phew! RCB 31/1 (3.3)
22:32 (IST): FOUR more! Down the track and Rossouw slaps him over mid on. RCB 31/0 after 3 overs.
22:30 (IST): FOUR! SIX! Rossouw gets stuck into Mohit. Down the track and over the sight screen.
22:29 (IST): That's not a FOUR! Brendon McCullum chases and throws himself to save the boundary. Some effort from the Kiwi captain that!
22:28 (IST): FOUR! Short from Mohit and Bisla latches on to it.
22:25 (IST): Fantastic over from Nehra. On the mark and with pace. This man has reinvented himself in this IPL.
22:21 (IST): FOUR! Wide and Bisla lets him arms free. Races to the cover boundary. RCB 8/0 after 1st over.
22:20 (IST): FOUR! Ishwar Pandey drops short and Bisla pounces on it. Great start for RCB.
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22:03 (IST): Three runs from the final ball. Super Kings finish with 181/8 riding Raina's 32 ball 62.
22:00 (IST): BOWLED! Pitch perfect from Starc! Mohit Sharma uprooted. Four dot balls in the final over.
22:00 (IST): Three dots in-a-row. Mohit Sharma swings and misses. Du Plessis need to get strike here.
21:55 (IST): OUT! Ashwin gone now. Change of pace from Wiese and he just didn't pick it. CSK are losing steam.
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21:50 (IST): OUT! Bravo (5) skies the ball to AB de Villiers off Abdulla. The spinners have been fantastic from RCB. They have brought RCB back into the game after the blazing start from Raina and Smith. CSK 156/6 (17.3 overs)
21:46 (IST): And another FOUR! Bravo this time. Starc being expensive here. Chennai looking to get the momentum back.
21:45 (IST): FOUR! Du Plessis shuffles across his stumps and thumps Starc to the fence.
21:41(IST): FOUR! Du Plessis gets the innings moving again. CSK need a few more.
21:39 (IST): OUT! Jadeja (8) finds Kohli on the wide long on fence. Goes for the wild hoick over cow-corner, doesn't get the middle of the bat. CSK slipping here a bit as Royal Challenger spinners stage a fightback. CSK 135/5 (15.2 overs)
21:33 (IST): OUT! Dhoni gone for 13. Chahal gets his third of the night. Big wicket that! Dhoni was struggling again, just couldn't get going. CSK 132/4 (14.1 overs)
21:28 (IST): FOUR! Jadeja joins the party, pulls it away to mid-wicket. CSK 132/3 after 14 overs.
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21:25 (IST): OUT! Raina gone for 62 off 32 balls. Chahal gets the wicket, Rossouw with the catch at long off. Phew! That's a relief for Virat Kohli. Raina was running away with the game.
21:22 (IST): SIX, SIX, SIX - Raina raining sixes at Bangalore! Fifty in just 29 deliveries! This is a carnage now.
21:18 (IST): SIX! Down the track come Raina and lofts Abdulla over wide long on. CSK 105/2 after 12 overs
21:16 (IST): FOUR! Dropped short by Abdulla and Raina slaps it through point.
21:14 (IST): FOUR! How hard was that hit by Dhoni? Charges down the track and slices Wiese to cover boundary. Sarfaraz had no chance as a sweeper.
21:11 (IST): Chennai looks in murderous mood today. The loss against Rajasthan has certainly hurt. There is a lot of purpose and intent in their approach. Dhoni and Raina together - that's a scary partnership!
21:08 (IST): SIX! Colossal hit. Is it out of the ground? Almost. Raina sends Abdulla into the orbit. 81/2 after 10 overs.
21:07 (IST): FOUR! Dhoni comes in at four and smashes the first ball for a boundary. This would be fun!
21:06 (IST): OUT! Smith storm ends. Departs for 39, caught behind off Harshal Patel. CSK 70/2 (8.5)
21:02 (IST): FOUR! Patel got that all wrong. Down the leg and easy pickings for Smith.
20:57 (IST): FOUR! Smith in nitro mode! Smashing Wiese all over the park! 17 runs off it. CSK 64/1 after 8 overs.
20:56 (IST): SIX! BOOM! Away she goes. Dwayme Smith clubs that over long off and now another SIX! Whacks it away over mid wicket!
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20:49 (IST): SIX! WHAT A SHOT! Straight down the ground. Wiese pitches it up and is sent sailing over sight screen by Suresh Raina. He's looking dangerous tonight.
20:44 (IST): FOUR! This time on the up and over covers goes Raina. He's up and running now! CSK 38/1 after 5 overs.
20:44 (IST): FOUR! Pitched up by Harshal and Raina drives through covers. Beautifully played.
20:41 (IST): SIX! Smith goes over deep square leg.
20:39 (IST): Raina has joined Smith in the middle. The left-hander hasn't made a significant contribution in this competition yet. Tonight might just be his.
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20:33 (IST): OUT! McCullum (4) smashes Chahal straight to Rossouw at point. CSK 12/1 (1.5)
20:27 (IST): FOUR! But just leg byes. FOUR! Middle of the bat this time from McCullum. RCB 9/0 after 1st over.
20:27 (IST): Smith gets a single and now, it's McCullum vs Starc. Remember 2015 World Cup finals?
20:25 (IST): The openers McCullum and Smith walking out. Starc with the new ball.
20: 20 (IST): The covers are being removed and the match is going to start in another five minutes. In Vizag, KKR need 32 runs from 12 overs now.
The #RCBvsCSK game will begin at 08:25 PM IST with no reduction in overs #IPL
- IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 22, 2015
20:14 (IST): More covers coming around. By the way the KKR vs Sunrisers game is balanced on a knife-edge. Check out the LIVE updates.
20:05 (IST): The crowd is waiting for Mitch Starc v Brendon McCullum but there's a slight delay as the light drizzle refuses to go away. Plenty of lightning around as well, hence the pitch is under covers.
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CSK XI: B McCullum, DR Smith, S Raina, F du Plessis, R Jadeja, MS Dhoni, DJ Bravo, R Ashwin, M Sharma, I Pandey, A Nehra
- IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 22, 2015
#RCB XI: @imVkohli*, Bisla, AB, Karthik†, Rilee, David Wiese, Yuzi, @iamSarfarazKhan, Iqbal Abdullah, @mstarc56 & Harshal #RCBvCSK #PlayBold
- Royal Challengers (@RCBTweets) April 22, 2015
19:45 (IST): NO CHRIS GAYLE for RCB tonight. Mitchell Starc makes his IPL 8 debut but no Gayle! A couple of more changes - Abu Nechim and Varun Aaron out. Sarfaraz Khan and Harshal Patel in.
19:40 (IST): This is a blockbuster game between two Indian superstars MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. There is another battle as well - the battle between two Kiwi coaches - Stephen Fleming v Daniel Vettori.
19:30 (IST): Toss time - RCB opt to bowl against CSK at Chinnaswamy Stadium. CSK have won 8 of their last 12 games against RCB.
19:20 (IST): Rain rain...go away! It's a rain marred day in the IPL. The game between Sunrisers and Knight Riders are on hold due to rain and there is lightning in Bangalore as well! The pitch is covered as a precaution, the players are out on the field though.
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RCB has probably got their best news ahead of Wednesday's contest - Aussie speedster Mitchell Starc is available for selection. The World Cup-winning pacer will be Kohli's main weapon to blunt Chennai's rampaging openers - Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith. (Ashwin, an 'Exceptional' Bowler: Daniel Vettori)
Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal will be the man to watch out for. The young RCB spinner has been impressive but his big test comes tonight when he bowls against the likes of Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo and Dhoni, all classy players of the spinning ball.
In spite of having a well-settled squad, CSK are yet to look rock solid. The team has banked on its openers and then relied on the bowlers to defend a score. In their last match against Rajasthan Royals, Dhoni's plans didn't work. Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson produced 144 for the opening wicket to blow CSK away by 8 wickets in Ahmedabad. (Dhoni Plays Down Rajasthan Royals Defeat)
The script could be similar tonight. RCB have the best T20 batsmen in the world and if the likes of Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma and Iswar Pandey err in line and length, CSK will be in trouble. CSK will be wary of the 'supernatural' AB De Villiers and of course, Chris Gayle and Kohli. (Virat Kohli Demands Improvement)
RCB gave Mumbai their first win on Sunday. Harbhajan Singh's spin foxed Gayle and Manvinder Bisla. So CSK's slow bowlers - Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja - will fancy their chances.
The high-profile match is pregnant with possibilities. CSK have won eight of their last 12 games against RCB. They had lost four out of six before that. But like any new day, stats will count for nothing.