Bengaluru, April 5: Riding on brilliant knocks from Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, and captain Rajat Patidar, the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, posted 250/3 in their 20 overs against Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, which is the highest score in IPL 2024.
On a pitch that eased out as the game progressed, an unbroken 99-run stand in just 35 balls between David, who hit 70 not out off 25 balls, and Patidar, who smashed 48 not out off 19 balls, was key to RCB reaching 250 and setting a challenging target for CSK.
Before the duo came in to dominate CSK, Padikkal was rock-solid, scoring 50 off 29 balls – his second consecutive fifty of the season. After hitting 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 21 balls. His power-hitting even had Virat Kohli stand up from the RCB dugout.
RCB began cautiously after being put to bat first, with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli negotiating early swing from Khaleel Ahmed and Matt Henry. Kohli broke the shackles in the fourth over, hitting Henry for a six and two boundaries, but soon fell for 28 off 18 balls, caught by Shivam Dube, who had missed an earlier chance, 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, dropped once by Ruturaj Gaikwad at cover, shifted gears in the middle overs. He hit three fours and two sixes off Dube and Henry to reach his second consecutive half-century, raising his bat to the noisy and cheerful Chinnaswamy crowd. His innings ended at 50 off 29 balls, bowled by Jamie Overton while trying to play a lap shot in the 15th over.
From 151/3 in 14.1 overs, Patidar and David launched a stunning counter-attack, leaving many in awe. Patidar hit two sixes and a four off Khaleel, while David went after Noor Ahmad, smashing three consecutive sixes – twice over deep mid-wicket and once over long-off – in the 17th over.
Kamboj thought he had yorked David, but an 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 one of his towering hits going outside the stadium – as 97 runs came off the last five overs.
Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 250/3 in 20 overs (Tim David 70 not out, Devdutt Padikkal 50; Shivam Dube 1-30, Jamie Overton 1-42) against Chennai Super Kings