IPL 2025: Yash Dayal denies Dhoni and CSK again in last-over thriller as RCB storm to the top

BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bengaluru staved off a spirited fightback from Chennai Super Kings to record a thrilling two-run win. Set to chase a daunting 214, CSK managed 211 for five. Seventeen-year-old Ayush Mhatre scored an enterprising knock of 94 (48b, 9x4, 5x6) and he received good support from Ravindra Jadeja who remained not out on 77 (45b, 8x4, 2x6).

History repeated itself at the Chinnaswamy on Saturday night, and so did the heartbreak for Chennai. Once again, it came down to Yash Dayal, MS Dhoni, and Ravindra Jadeja in the final over—and once again, it was Dayal who held his nerve.

The left-arm seamer defended 15 runs off the last six balls and in a déjà vu moment from its previous clash at this venue, Dayal dismissed Dhoni in the final over, this time with a lower full toss. Though he bowled a costly no ball that Shivam Dube dispatched for six, Dayal bounced back with three brilliant low full-toss deliveries that Jadeja and Dube couldn’t put away.

With the victory, RCB not only climbed to the top of the IPL 2025 points table but also achieved a long-awaited milestone—beating CSK twice in a season for the first time in 16 years.

Earlier, a dominant start in the powerplay by the RCB openers coupled with a gobsmacking 14-ball fifty from Romario Shepherd in the end helped RCB set a target of 214 runs against CSK.

In what looked like a good effort from Super Kings bowlers to pull the game back in the middle overs, Shepherd came with 14 balls left in the innings when RCB was 157/5 in 17.4 overs and managed to turn the tide launching six sixes and four boundaries to reach joint second fastest fifty in Indian Premier League history.

After losing the toss at home for fifth time this season, RCB was put to bat and it was in charge from first over, taking advantage of the pitch which looked like a belter for batting.

It did not seem like RCB was missing the service of Phil Salt as the southpaw who replaced him, Jacob Bethell, alongside Virat Kohli, put on an outstanding display of power-hitting right from the first over when Bethell struck three boundaries off Khaleel Ahmed.

The pacer gave 32 runs in his first two overs and struggled to get his lengths right. While Bethell was doing some work to play those shots, Khaleel was feeding Kohli with two poor deliveres in his second, for which he gave the deserved treatment to clear both of them over the ropes. He ended up leaking 65 runs in his three-over spell.

Meanwhile, Anshul Kamboj bowled three decent overs from the other end to control the RCB openers and even created a chance to get the English batter out.

A back-of-a-length delivery from Kamboj which Bethell angled across onto the leg side had Jadeja run backwards from inside the circle only for Matheesha Pathirana to bump into him from backward point and lose the ball.

When RCB were cruising with the opening pair looking in great form, a stunner from Dewald Brevis sent Bethell back to the dugout. Pathirana bowled an off-pace delivery only for Bethell to go across the line and miscued it which seemed like landing safely but Dewald Brevis ran his heart out and dived in front to take the catch from mid-wicket.

Noor Ahmed Pathirana and Jadeja led a strong fightback in the middle overs giving only 73 runs in the 7-15 overs and taking two wickets. But all that changed when the Guyana batter came to alter the script.

BRIEF SCORES: RCB 213/5 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 62, Jacob Bethell 55, Romario Shepherd 53*, Matheesha Pathirana 3/36) bt CSK 211/5 in 20 overs (A Mhatre 94, R Jadeja 77*, L Ngidi 3/30)