Double-header Sunday coming up! 4th May, 2025 sees double the IPL action. In the afternoon game, Kolkata Knight Riders take on Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens, in the former's quest to stay alive in the tournament. In the evening game, Punjab Kings face Lucknow Super Giants as Dharamsala makes its debut this season. The first ball will be bowled at 3.30 pm IST (1000 GMT) but our build-up will begin well in advance. Do join us early then. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

Woof! The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have sprung to the top of the points table, with 16 points. They now have a long break, before they meet Lucknow Super Giants on Friday, 9th May, 2025, in Lucknow. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, are going fast to be handed the wooden spoon. They head next to Eden Gardens, to take on Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, 7th May, 2025, to try and give a better end to their woeful season.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's ROMARIO SHEPHERD has been adjudged the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his blistering unbeaten 14-ball 53. Smiles on receiving the award and says that he was waiting for his opportunity for a long time and made use of it. Details that he was only trying to give the team a good finish. On the secret of the power he generates, Shepherd replies that the way he swings, just looks at the pace of the ball and shoots, maybe it comes out well. On his practice in the nets, Romario credits RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik for taking the players in the nets and gave them some specific words and they paid off. On his though process in the last 2 overs, RS says that h was just thinking to play ball by ball and just swung hard. Details that he tried to stay relaxed and tried to hit the ball from the middle of the bat. On his preference to bat or bowl, Romario Shepherd says he is 50-50. Sheepishly says that in this game, it came out really well with the bat but he had a bad day with the ball. Credits Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Lungi Ngidi for pulling RCB out of trouble.

RAJAT PATIDAR, the captain of RCB, smiles and says that his heart rate is good now. Appreciates CSK batters but says the way their bowlers showed courage in the last overs was tremendous. On giving the ball to Yash Dayal in the last over, he says he is the main bowler of the side and is a death over specialist. Highlights that he did the same thing for them last year as well and did it again this time around as well. On giving the ball to Suyash Sharma in the 18th over, he reflects that he had confidence on Suyash as till now, he has bowled well. Admits that it was a 50-50 decision but he backed his bowler and is happy to see him deliver. On Romario Shepherd's batting in the last overs, he says it is not easy to go in and hit big sixes right away. Says he just enjoyed his long sixes from the dugout. Then reflects on Lungi Ngidi's bowling by saying that he is an experienced bowler and has bowled a lot with the white ball. Says he had faith in him. On getting 16 points, he delightfully says that it is a positive thing to be at the top. Also says they are not aiming for qualification but aiming to do well in the remaining games.

The mentor and batting coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, DINESH KARTHIK, is up for a chat now. On being asked about the feelings in the RCB dugout during the last over of the chase, Karthik honestly says that the last few deliveries took a humongous effort to stop CSK scoring and praises Yash Dayal for doing eally well and adds that these things really uplift the mood in the camp. On the chat during the second Strategic timeout when RCB were batting, Dinesh says that they had a few good batters - Jitesh Sharma, Tim David and Romario Shepherd - so they want to maximize their potential but admits that it was hard to start on. So, he adviced the batters take it easy on the first couple of balls but once you get set, hit strong shots. On Dayal, DK calls him one with a strong ethic - someone who works really hard in practice and in terms of effort, ranking him right up there with the greats. Agrees that the execution might go up and down but details that one of the reasons RCB retained him was because of the way he won games for them in the last year, reflecting on that win against CSK in Bengaluru in 2024 at this same venue. On Suyash Sharma, Dinesh Karthik says that Suyash likes to deliver under pressure. Adds that Suyash may not be in the list of the top spinners in the country but he is a great bowler and someone who could be a great asset to the Indian spin department. Details that because of his efforts, Krunal Pandya has been able to bowl well this season.

MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Super Kings, reflects that he should have converted some deliveries into big shots and humbly takes the blame onto him. Says RCB got off to a good start, but also points that they pulled it back really nicely in the middle phase. Adds Romario Shepherd in the death overs was just brilliant with the bat and says whatever their bowlers were bowling, he was able to get those big hits. Says they need to practice more yorkers as when the batters start to connect, you need to have those variations. Says the margin of error is very minimal as the next best thing is a low full toss if you miss the yorker. Mentions that someone like Pathirana has the pace to bowl those yorkers and has bowled a couple of them on point. On Ayush Mhatre he says he batted really well and also says the department did a really good job but admits that the bowling unit was not up to the mark. Stresses that batting is somewhere they have been slightly behind but he feels they did really well this time. 

... THE PRESENTATION ...

Earlier in the game, CSK came back strongly with the ball. RCB were 140/2 after 14 overs but lost 3/19 in the next 4 overs. However, some real clobbering in the last 2 overs saw the home side gallop to 213. The opening pair of Jacob Bethell and Virat Kohli got RCB to a strong start while a 14-ball 53 by Romario Shepherd, the second-fastest half century in the IPL, propelled the home side to a strong finish. Except for the last few overs, the Chennai bowlers were doing reasonably well barring Khaleel Ahmed. After a tough season, Matheesha Pathirana was finally back to his usual self, picking up 3 wickets.

Probably the best batting effort by Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025 but it has come in a losing cause. They were ahead in the game for almost 80 percent but could not quite finish things off. This usually happens when you don't have the habit of winning. Ayush Mhatre stood tall, with a magnificent 94 and his 114-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja should have sealed the deal for the visitors. But, after Mhatre got out, the momentum shifted.

A mixed bowling performance by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. They could not do well with the no ball with only Krunal Pandya doing well. With dew coming in, all the bowlers went for a tour around the park. At the end of the 16th over, the touring side needed 43 from 24 balls, with 8 wickets in hand. However, that 17th over by Ngidi, which saw 2 wickets in 2 balls turned things around, which rubber-stamps the statement that it is not over till the final ball is bowled. Ngidi ended up with 3 wickets but don't forget the 18th over by Suyash Sharma, which went for just 6 runs and the excellent comeback by Yash Dayal on the last 3 legal balls.

Flashback IPL 2024. Chennai Super Kings needed 17 from the final over to qualify. Dhoni hit one out of the ground to a short ball by Yash Dayal and the equation read 11 from 5. But Dayal came back brilliantly to dismiss Dhoni and take RCB into the playoffs. Same venue. Sometimes, to watch a movie on repeat seems so good for some, and so hurting for some.

Like a proper Southern Derby, this game swung like a pendulum. Remember, RCB were 159/5 after 18 overs. They hammered 54 in the last 2 overs. CSK, in reply, were going great guns through the stand between Ayush Mhatre and Ravindra Jadeja. But the home side came back, despite DROPPING 4 CATCHES! One felt that the 16th over killed the home side's chances, with both, Mhatre and Jadeja dropped in the span of 4 balls. But the 17th over saw two back-to-back wickets by Lungi Ngidi and the game swung again. RCB were choking the visitors but that no ball by Yash Dayal in the final over seemed to indicate that the cat might have jumped out of the bag. But the 'never say never' attitude enabled the southpaw to come back.

The Chinnaswamy erupts. RCB have pulled a rabbit out of the bag. How did they manage to win this? Well, they nearly managed to lose it a couple of times as well. But eventually, at the crunch moment, they have found a way to win. They move to 16 points and top the table and although they don't have a 'Q' against their name yet, they are knocking that door down to the playoffs pretty hard. This is the first time that RCB have defeated CSK twice in an IPL season in India and also the first time that RCB have defeated CSK twice in the league stages of an IPL season overall.

1 ball left. 4 runs needed.

No ball? The ball has gone over mid-wicket and Dube has reviewed for a waist-high no ball! And sure enough, it is a no ball!

Will CSK use their impact player? Yes, they do. Shivam Dube walks in at number 7, replacing his skipper, MS Dhoni. Matheesha Pathirana is the one subbed out.

Shades of 2023? Yash Dayal bowling, a left-hander on strike. Will Ravindra Jadeja do a Rinku Singh? Half the runs required. 3-0-29-0 so far. 14 runs to defend.