Bangalore, April 5 – A dominant batting performance led by Tim David, Rajat Patidar, and Devdutt Padikkal, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s impressive spell of 3-41, led defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to a commanding 43-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their IPL 2026 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
The high-profile match saw RCB's batting unit dismantle CSK's attack with relentless hitting. David's unbeaten 70 off 25 balls and Patidar's unbeaten 48 off 19 balls provided a spectacular finish after Padikkal's fluent 50 off 29 balls – his second consecutive fifty of the season – had set the tone for the challenging total.
The trio's combined effort, including a remarkable 99-run partnership off just 35 balls between David and Patidar, who showcased incredible range-hitting, propelled RCB to a formidable 250/3, setting a new record for the highest score in IPL 2026.
After smashing three consecutive sixes off Noor Ahmad, David unleashed in the penultimate over, smashing Jamie Overton for four sixes and a four to reach his second IPL half-century in just 21 balls. His powerful hitting even prompted Virat Kohli to stand up from the RCB dugout.
In reply, CSK struggled under pressure, with Sarfaraz Khan's 50 off 24 balls and Prashant Veer's 43 the only resistance amidst a series of failures from the top order.
Bhuvneshwar was in excellent form, and even reached 200 wickets in IPL, while others also contributed as CSK were dismissed for 207 in 19.4 overs. This comprehensive victory also meant RCB had achieved four consecutive wins against CSK for the first time in IPL history.
RCB started cautiously after being put in to bat, with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli navigating early swing from Khaleel Ahmed and Matt Henry. Kohli broke the deadlock in the fourth over, hitting Henry for a six and two boundaries, but was soon out for 28 off 18 balls, caught by Shivam Dube, who had dropped an earlier catch off Anshul Kamboj.
Salt, who had struggled early, found his rhythm with pulls and slog-sweeps to reach 46 off 30 balls before Dube dismissed him in the 11th over. Padikkal, having been dropped once by Ruturaj Gaikwad at cover, accelerated in the middle overs.
He smashed three fours and two sixes off Dube and Henry to reach his second successive half-century, raising his bat to the cheering Chinnaswamy crowd. His innings ended at 50 off 29 balls, bowled by Jamie Overton in the 15th over.
From 151/3 in 14.1 overs, Patidar and David launched a stunning counter-attack, leaving many impressed. Patidar smashed two sixes and a four off Khaleel, while David targeted Noor Ahmad, smashing three consecutive sixes – twice over deep mid-wicket and once over long-off – in the 17th over.
Kamboj thought he had bowled a yorker to David, but the overstep turned it into a free hit, which David dispatched for another maximum. Overton bore the brunt in the 19th over, conceding 30 runs as David hit four sixes and a four to reach his half-century in 21 balls – with a towering 106m maximum going over the stadium roof – as a staggering 97 runs came off the last five overs.
CSK's chase began on a shaky note as Jacob Duffy dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad, while Bhuvneshwar claimed his 200th IPL wicket by dismissing Ayush Mhatre cheaply. After Duffy dismissed Sanju Samson, Sarfaraz countered with boundaries and sixes off Duffy, Bhuvneshwar, and Abhinandan Singh to reach a half-century in just 24 balls.
However, his dismissal to Krunal Pandya, who also dismissed Kartik Sharma, in the seventh over left CSK struggling at 84/5. After Shivam Dube's vigil was cut short by Abhinandan, Veer and Jamie Overton joined forces for a spirited 57-run stand.
Veer scored 43 off 29 balls, while Overton smashed 37 off 16, but both were dismissed by Bhuvneshwar and Suyash Sharma, respectively. Noor Ahmad and Anshul Kamboj managed a few boundaries, but Bhuvneshwar and Abhinandan dismissed them to seal a great victory for RCB in a contest that didn't live up to its expectations.
Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 250/3 in 20 overs (Tim David 70 not out, Devdutt Padikkal 50; Shivam Dube 1-30, Jamie Overton 1-42) beat Chennai Super Kings 207 in 19.4 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 50, Prashant Veer 43; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-41, Abhinandan Singh 2-30) by 43 runs.