IPL 2022, RCB vs CSK: Fans respond as all-round Bangalore hands Chennai 7th season-defeat

Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Chennai Super Kings by 13 runs in IPL 2022 on Wednesday. It was CSK's seventh season defeat, as fans responded in their fashion.

It was heartbreak again for four-time defending champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK), losing to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Match 49 of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL). Played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Wednesday, RCB registered a 13-run win. It was CSK's seventh defeat of the season, making its playoffs qualification chances extremely difficult hereon, while fans responded on Twitter.

Winning the toss, CSK skipper MS Dhoni asked RCB to bat, as openers Virat Kohli (30) and skipper Faf du Plessis (38) gave a good start, contributing 62 before the latter departed to off-spinner Moeen Ali in the eighth. Eventually, RCB was down to 79/3, with Kohli falling to the same man in the tenth. However, Mahipal Lomror (42) and Rajat Patidar (21) put on 44 for the fourth wicket before the latter was sent back by pacer Dwayne Pretorious in the 16th.

While Lomror and Dinesh Karthik (26) added 32 more, the former fell to off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the 19th, at 155. Eventually, there were some small stands, as RCB finished on an above-par total of 173/8. For CSK, Theekshana claimed three, while leg-spinner Jadeja was the most economical one from his side.

In reply, CSK started on a good note, with openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (28) and Devon Conway (56) putting on 54 before the former was dismissed by spinner Shahbaz Ahmed in the seventh, while it was quickly down to 75/3 by the tenth. Then, Conway and Moeen Ali (34) added 34 for the fourth wicket, as the former slammed his second IPL half-century. However, he fell in the 15th to leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, thus ending the good-looking partnership.

Thereon, the incoming CSK batters just could not build enough promising partnerships, while the RCB bowlers tightened the screws. Eventually, CSK finished on 160/8, while Moeen was dismissed by pacer Harshal Patel in the 18th. As for RCB, Harshal bagged three, while pacer Josh Hazlewood was favourably economical.
Brief scores: RCB 173/8 (Kohli- 30, du Plessis- 38, Lomror- 42; Theekshana- 3/27) defeats CSK 160/8 (Conway- 56, Moeen- 34; Harshal- 3/35) by 13 runs.