IPL 2018: 4 nail-biting finishes in the Royal Challengers Bangalore-Chennai Super Kings rivalry

#1 IPL 2013: League game (8 overs per side)

Blitzkrieg from the RCB talisman!

Before the match started, the Royal Challengers Bangalore had to win the game so as to keep their playoff hopes alive. However, it rained cats and dogs on the day and it seemed like the home team would have to settle for a one-point-per-side draw. However, the Rain gods finally relented to the prayers of the crowds gathered in the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The match was going to be initiated 11 pm, three hours after the scheduled time. It was reduced to an eight-over per side affair and it looked to be a thrilling proposition.

The hosts were invited to bat first and Gayle and Kohli opened the innings for RCB. Dhoni relied on his tactic of playing Ashwin against Gayle to keep left-hander in check. However, it proved to be a costly decision for the visitors, as Kohli used his feet brilliantly against Ashwin to launch a ball over long-on in the first over of the game.

The right-handed batsman shared a partnership of 67 from 32 balls with Gayle, before the latter was finally for 28 off 13 deliveries. De Villiers could not fire on the night and returned to the pavilion minutes Gayle's departure. However, RCB did not let the pressure pile on them. Moises Henriques and Kohli ripped apart the bowlers to take the total to 106-2.

Unlike RCB, CSK's fate in the competition did not hinge on the result of this encounter. Hence, the Men in Yellow chose to go with a conservative approach after the early dismissals of Hussey, Raina and Dwayne Bravo, in order to sustain their NRR.

Veteran pacer Zaheer Khan was the pick of the RCB bowlers. He scalped four wickets in his quota of 2 overs and gave away just 17 runs, which was excellent for the circumstances he was bowling in. Ultimately, RCB pulled off a stunning victory with a 24-run margin.

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Match Summary

RCB 106 for 2 in 8 overs (Kohli 56*, Gayle 28)

CSK 82 for 6 in 8 overs (Vijay 32, Zaheer 4/17)