In a crucial Match 68 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched a playoff spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 by defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 27 runs. The victory was pivotal, meeting the required margin to secure their place in the knockout stage.

RCB’s batting brilliance

Batting first, RCB set a formidable target, posting 218/5 in their 20 overs. Skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli laid a solid foundation with a 78 runs partnership for the first wicket. Du Plessis scored a crucial 54, while Kohli added 47 off 29 balls, decorated with four sixes and three boundaries. Contributions from Rajat Patidar (41 off 23 balls) and Cameron Green (38 not out off 17 balls) further boosted the total. In the final overs, Dinesh Karthik (14 off 6 balls) and Glenn Maxwell (16 off 5 balls) played impactful cameos to lift RCB’s score

CSK’s response and collapse

CSK’s chase started disastrously with Ruturaj Gaikwad getting out on the first ball. Daryl Mitchell soon followed, leaving CSK in a precarious position. Rachin Ravindrahowever, provided some hope with a resilient 61, and Ajinkya Rahane supported well  as they both added 66 runs in 41 balls  for the third wicket. Despite their efforts, CSK struggled to maintain the momentum. Ravindra Jadeja‘s valiant unbeaten 42 off 22 balls was not enough as CSK ended their innings at 191/7.

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Shivam Dube’s struggle with the bat and fans frustration

Shivam Dubey‘s performance was underwhelming and significantly impacted CSK’s chase. Coming in at a crucial juncture with CSK needing to accelerate, Dube failed to find his rhythm, scoring just 7 off 15 balls. His inability to rotate the strike and score quickly added pressure on the lower middle order. Additionally, Dube was involved in the run-out of the well-set Ravindra, which was proved to be a turning point in the match.

This misstep, coupled with his slow scoring, drew the ire of CSK fans, who expressed their frustration over his lack of intent and poor performance during such a critical phase of the game. CSK fans were visibly upset with the team’s collapse, particularly targeting Dube for his slow innings and the crucial run-out. Social media was abuzz with criticism, highlighting Dube’s lack of aggression and inability to perform under pressure as key reasons for the defeat.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

Also READ: Twitter erupts as RCB knocks CSK out to reach the IPL 2024 playoffs