Bengaluru: Riding on blazing knocks from Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Rajat Patidar, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted 250/3 in their 20 overs, the highest total of IPL 2026, against Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
On a pitch which eased out as the game progressed, an unbroken 99-run stand off just 35 balls between David, who hit 70 not out off just 25 balls and Patidar, who smashed 48 not out off only 19 deliveries, was the key to RCB touching 250-mark and set CSK an uphill mountain to climb.
Before the duo came in to unleash carnage on CSK, Padikkal was rock-solid in hitting 50 off 29 balls – his second consecutive fifty of the season. After clobbering Noor Ahmad for three consecutive sixes, David cut loose in the penultimate over by smashing Jamie Overton for four sixes and a four to reach his second IPL half-century in 21 balls. His power-hitting had even got Virat Kohli to rise from his seat in the RCB dugout.
RCB began cautiously after being put into batting first, with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli negotiating early swing from Khaleel Ahmed and Matt Henry. Kohli broke the shackles in the fourth over, striking Henry for a six and two boundaries, but fell soon after for 28 off 18 balls, caught by Shivam Dube, who had shelled an earlier chance, off Anshul Kamboj.
Salt, who had struggled early, found rhythm with pulls and slog-sweeps to race to 46 off 30 before Dube dismissed him in the 11th over.
Padikkal, dropped once by Ruturaj Gaikwad at cover, shifted gears in the middle overs. He cracked three fours and two sixes off Dube and Henry to bring up his second successive 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 counterattack, leaving many in awe of it. Patidar carved Khaleel for two sixes and a four, 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 hammered 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
(IANS)
