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Ranchi: Michael Ashish Nehra picked up three wickets to restrict RCB to 139/8. Michael Hussey then scored a fine fifty as CSK chased down the target with a delivery to spare.
Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of RCB’s bowlers with two for 28 in four overs.
In the absence of Brendon McCullum, Hussey stepped up with a terrific half-century. He brought all his experience to the fore, and played with a calm head. His composed 56 came off 46 balls three fours and two sixes. Dwayne Smith had started well earlier on, scoring 17 off 12 with three boundaries.
Faf du Plessis was dropped very early in his innings, and he made RCB pay. Chris Gayle was the guilty man, dropping a sharp chance at slip. He went on to churn the runs around, scoring 21 off 22 with two boundaries.
At 61 for three in the 10th over, MS Dhoni walked out to join Hussey. Another wicket at that time would have proven to be an absolute game-changer, but the two calmest heads in the CSK line-up put on 47 to guide CSK closer.
Hussey was out with over 30 runs to make from less than four overs, but Pawan Negi played a couple of big hits and Dhoni did what he does best: finish games. He was out with one run to win, but he had done enough to ensure a CSK win.
Earlier, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ashish Nehra led the rout, as CSK restricted RCB to a manageable 139 for eight.
Ashwin was at his skilful best, tying down Chris Gayle with a spell of one for 14 in four overs. At the other end, Ashish Nehra continued his love for RCB, snaring two massive wickets in his first three overs and coming back to take a third later on. He finished with three for 28 in his four overs, accounting for Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the same over, and Dinesh Karthik later on.
David Wiese hit a big six but did little apart from that, holing out to Dwayne Bravo off Mohit Sharma. Wiese had earlier been dropped off Bravo’s bowling. Sarfaraz kept fighting, scoring 31 off 21 balls, but in the end there was far too much for him to do, as CSK restricted RCB to a chaseable total.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bangalore - 139 for 8 (Gayle 41, Nehra 3-28)
Chennai Super Kings - 140 for 7 (Hussey 56)
Result - Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets.
MOM - Ashish Nerha (CSK)
