Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Virat Kohli walked off in the 18th over with the equation reading 25 off 14, and for five minutes Chepauk wondered if Chennai's death bowling could conjure something from nothing. They couldn't. RCB closed out a four-wicket win with four balls to spare, their sixth successful chase at this venue in eight attempts since 2022. The match turned in the middle overs when Kohli and Rajat Patidar put on 74 for the second wicket, neither forcing the issue but neither letting dot balls pile up either. On a surface where Chennai's batters had scratched to 174, RCB reached 125 for one after 14 overs, the pressure valve released. Kohli's 72 off 48 was built around timing rather than power, 11 fours and just one six. Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad's 58 gave Chennai early momentum but nobody else crossed 42. Shivam Dube's 41 off 24 lifted them past 170, though Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar never let the scoring feel easy. Matheesha Pathirana's dismissal of Kohli produced a flicker of hope, six runs off his final over offering a template for what CSK needed. But with only 24 required at that point, the margin for error had vanished. Watch how RCB handle Wankhede next, where short boundaries punish any bowling that drifts into rhythm.