IPL 2025, RCB vs CSK, Highlights: Bengaluru edge past CSK in a thriller despite heroics from Mahatre and Jadeja; RCB climb to the top of the table.
Brief scores: RCB 213/5 (Virat Kohli 62, Jacob Bethell 55, Romario Shepherd 53 not out, Matheesha Pathirana 3/36) beat CSK 211/5 (Ayush Mhatre 94, Ravindra Jadeja 77 not out, Lungi Ngidi 3/30) by 2 runs.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) posted a thrilling 2-run win in a high-scoring match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. First, Romario Shepherd’s cameo of 14-ball 53* powered RCB to 213/5 before they restricted CSK to 211/5 thanks to some good death bowling. This win has helped RCB move closer to play-offs, while CSK suffered their ninth loss this season.
Highlights of RCB-CSK game
Kohli-Bethell set platform for a big total
Asked to bat first on a batting beauty, RCB began on the right note with young English opener Jacob Bethell smashing three straight fours off the first over bowled by Khaleel Ahmed. Virat Kohli too joined in the fun, smashing two straight sixes off Khaleel’s next over. The two milked the CSK’s wayward bowling with Bethell smashing Noor Ahmed’s bowling for 2 fours and 1 six.
The openers helped RCB put 71 for no loss in the powerplay. The two put on 97 for the first wicket in just 9.5 overs. Bethell fell for a well-made 33-ball 55 with 8 fours and 2 sixes. Kohli continued thereafter, taking two fours and one six off the next over bowled by Jadeja. Kohli fell for a well-made 33-ball 62 with 5 fours and 5 sixes.
Compared to his earlier knocks in this season, this fifty saw Kohli take an aggressive approach as the team needed to put up a good total as no target was safe on the batting beauty of M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Read More: IPL 2025: RCB bowlers’ stellar stats in powerplay (overs 1-6) the bedrock of their success so far
Shepherd ruins CSK’s death-over brilliance
RCB were cruising to a big total when they were comfortably placed at 144/2 in the 15th over. And then Matheesha Pathirana happened. The Sri Lankan bowler bowled unhittable lengths, making even rotating strike difficult. Noor Ahmed also pitched in a tidy over. Pathirana and Noor bowled three overs from 16th to 18th giving away just 15 runs and taking three wickets.
Romario Shepherd then threw caution to the wind and cracked 4 sixes and 2 fours off the 19th over bowled by Khaleel. The momentum shifted to RCB as Shepherd smacked two sixes and two fours off Pathirana’s last over – the 20th off the innings – to help RCB put 213/5. The last two overs saw RCB scoring 54 runs with Sheperd scoring 52 runs off it. Shepherd ended with 14-ball 53 not out with 6 sixes and 4 fours.
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𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤 𝙍𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙜𝙚 🔥
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 3, 2025
Most runs in a single over this season, courtesy of the power-packed Romario Shepherd 😮💪
Watch the video here: https://t.co/GvsbUiBPdx#TATAIPL | #RCBvCSK | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/MGCcIpRlIi
Mhatre-Jadeja effort goes in vain as RCB pull off a win
Chennai Super Kings began the chase spiritedly with the pair of Ayush Mhatre and Ravindra Jadeja posting a stand of 114 runs in 10.4 overs for the third wicket. It was opener Mhatre who first set the platform for the chase with a stand of 51 runs for the opening wicket with Shaik Rasheed in 5.1 overs. But it was Mhatre-Jadeja’s stand that put CSK into a position of a win with some help from butter-fingered RCB fielders who dropped as many as four catches.
However, it wasn’t meant to be CSK’s day as RCB pace bowlers pulled things back in the death overs. It was Lungi Ngidi who broke the Mhatre-Jadeja’s stand, and took another wicket of Dewald Brevis on the next ball. Suyash bowled a brilliant 18th over, conceding only 6 runs. The last two overs bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal saw the game shift from one team to another. However, the two bowlers bowled enough yorkers to stop CSK from running away with the game. Needing six off three balls, Dayal bowled three brilliant yorkers to concede just three runs and win the match by 2 runs.
Read More: What CSK need to do to bolster their batting from IPL 2026 onwards?
The way forward
RCB have bagged two crucial points with this win. They have moved to the top of the table with 16 points from 11 matches. They have moved one step closer to a play-off berth. RCB would target to win their remaining three games to finish in the top two and earn two chances to qualify for the final. RCB next face LSG on May 9.
For CSK, it was another match they came close to winning, but ended up losing. It was their ninth loss of their season. They have three games remaining and would look to spoil the other team’s chances of qualifying for the play-offs. CSK take on KKR on May 7 next.
Top Twitter/X Reactions from RCB vs CSK, Bengaluru, IPL 2025
History repeats itself. Yash Dayal bowling the last over, 17 to defend last year. Today, 15 to defend. Again, a change of ball because of the six going out of the stadium…..
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 3, 2025
Ayush Mhatre looks like the player who loves bounce. Plays on top of the bounce. Brilliant batting from 17 years old.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) May 3, 2025
RCB under assault from 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre. Young Indian batsmen creating waves!
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) May 3, 2025
Very impressive, very aggressive, very very Virat kohli. Strike rate and intent debate around kohli should stop now.
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) May 3, 2025
I have been enthralled by Ayush Mhatre's innings. Such composure and bravery. And on 94, played the kind of shot the team needed. That shows character.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 3, 2025
Fills my heart with joy to see the youngsters stepping up this season. They're hungry, they're ready. This is what the IPL is about, where talent meets opportunity. Well played Ayush 👏🏻 #RCBvCSK #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/VWBeFx6zaK
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) May 3, 2025
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