In a close match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by just two runs. CSK captain MS Dhoni took responsibility for the defeat, saying he should have played a few better shots to help his team win.
CSK needed 35 runs in the last three overs and 15 runs in the final over. Dhoni came in to bat during the 17th over and hit a six in the 19th over. However, he got out in the final over, leaving CSK needing 13 runs from the last three balls. Shivam Dube, the Impact Player, hit a six off a high full toss but couldn’t finish the job. CSK fell short by two runs.
Dhoni said during the post-match interview, “Looking at the final over, I feel I should have converted a couple more shots. That would have reduced the pressure. So, I take the blame for the loss.”
Earlier in the match, RCB batted first and scored 213 runs. The standout performance came from Romario Shepherd, who smashed a quick 53 runs from just 14 balls. He hit six sixes and four fours, scoring 54 runs in the last two overs alone.
Dhoni praised RCB’s powerful finish, saying, “They had a good start, and we pulled things back in the middle. But Romario was brilliant in the death overs.”
Dhoni also pointed out that CSK’s bowlers need to improve their yorkers – a type of delivery aimed at the batsman’s feet. “We need more practice with yorkers because they are hard to hit and very useful at the end of the innings,” he said. He also mentioned that fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana should mix things up with bouncers if yorkers aren’t working.
On the other hand, RCB’s batting coach Dinesh Karthik praised young bowler Yash Dayal, who defended 14 runs in the final over under pressure, even with the ball being wet due to dew.
Karthik said, “Yash was outstanding. It takes a lot to stop a team like CSK from scoring those runs. His work ethic is excellent. He prepares well, writes down notes in meetings, and sticks to his plans.”
Karthik added that Dayal is one of the best young bowlers in India and was retained by RCB for his talent and calmness under pressure. “He delivered for us last year in a similar situation and did it again today,” Karthik said.
In the end, RCB’s strong finish and Dayal’s final over sealed a thrilling win and put them on top of the points table.
