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IPL 2018: Highlights: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings: Dhoni spurs CSK to win

Royal Challengers Bangalore made 205/8 after 50s by AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock but Dhoni upstages them as Chennai Super Kings win

MS Dhoni played a brilliant unbeaten 70 as Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by five wickets

Bengaluru, April 25: Mahendra Singh Dhoni sported a contemporary, even funky high-and-tight hairstyle that came in full view when he removed his helmet at the end of the match. But his mind remained in its old space - cold and calculative.

His precise, unbeaten 70 was the guiding force behind Chennai Super Kings' five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here on Wednesday (April 26). For the latecomers, Chennai Super Kings made 207 for five in 19.4 overs chasing Royal Challengers 205 for eight in 20 overs.

IPL PAGE | IPL SCHEDULE | PREVIEW: RCB VS CSK | SCOREBOARD | GAMBHIR RESIGNS

It may appear that precise is not the word you would want to associate with Dhoni's knock that came off just 34 balls and contained seven sixes and one four. Explosive. Belligerent. Stunning. You can think of several adjectives. (WATCH MSD'S WINNING SIX BELOW)

But on this night, precise fitted the space of adjective perfectly. Dhoni came to the crease when Super Kings were 74/4 in 9 overs. At that juncture, they needed 132 runs in 11 overs - 12 runs per over.

Dhoni in the company of Ambati Rayudu (82, 53b, 3x4 8x6) first saw off the on the money Umesh Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who had produced a marvellous leg-break to dismiss Sam Billings earlier.

By the time, Dhoni and Rayudu, who added a match-turning 101 runs for the fifth wicket, negotiated a further four overs were lapsed. After 13 overs, Chennai Super Kings were 107/4 and required 99 runs off 42 balls to win.

However, Dhoni seemed confident that he can knock those runs off Mohammad Siraj, Corey Anderson and Pawan Negi. And indeed he did that!

In the last over, Super Kings needed 16 to win and Dwayne Bravo, who arrived at the crease after Rayudu was run out looking for a tough second run, made a cracking beginning to the final over bowled by Anderson.

The Kiwi all-rounder managed to elicit an edge off Bravo but it evaded a sideways leaping stumper Quinton de Kock en route the ropes. Then the West Indian followed it with an archetypal loft over the covers for a six as the equation came down to six runs off four balls.

A single by Bravo in the third ball brought Dhoni back on strike. With five runs needed off three balls, Dhoni did not wait for any theatrics. The Jharkhand man moved across to the off stump and deposited Anderson into the stands over wide long on. The match was over and Chennai Super Kings raced to the top spot in the IPL points table past Kings XI Punjab.

However, it was not the only innings that made the crowd at the M Chinnaswamy stadium gasping with delight. AB de Villiers was at his incandescent best while rattling up a 68 off 30 balls with two fours and eight sixes while his South African teammate De Kock compiled an efficient 53 off 37 balls with a boundary and four sixes.

They had also milked over 100 runs for the second wicket giving a foundation for the home side to go past the 200-run mark.

However, a 36-year-old, greying old warrior kept them afloat first and then dragged them past the finish line.

Take a bow MS Dhoni. You have no parallel.

Story first published: Thursday, April 26, 2018, 14:53 [IST]
Other articles published on Apr 26, 2018