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On a batting-friendly M Chinnaswamy pitch, the bowlers had their task cut out in the all-important Southern Derby. In the virtual knockout match, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowlers emerged the better bowling unit as they survived a few nerve-wrecking moments to take the Challengers to their ninth IPL play-off with a 27 run win over Chennai Super Kings.
Yash Dayal, who did leak runs, bowled a thrilling final over, to take RCB into the play-offs over the defending champions.
A look at the best spells of the contest in Bengaluru.
Mitchell Santner
Santner turned in the best bowling figures on the day, but in a losing cause. Santner came into the attack in the fifth over, with the ball turning following the 42 minute rain delay.
With the ball gripping and turning, Santner kept RCB Openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis in check, conceding just two runs in his first over. Santner followed it up with another decent over, with Kohli taking just one boundary off him.
Santner's economical overs built pressure on RCB's scoreboard. In his third over, bowling the 10th, Santner got smashed for a six over mid wicket by Virat Kohli. But he got his revenge instantly with the prized wicket of the star RCB batter. Going against the turn, Kohli ended up hitting it wider then intended and Daryl Mitchell picked up a brilliant catch at long-on to end Kohli's superb innngs.
Conceding 8 and picking up the prized scalp of Kohli saw Santner put CSK on top, momentarily.
In his final over, Santner once again came to Chennai's rescue bowling a brilliant over. After Du Plessis got the 13th underway with a single, Santner conceded four more singles before implementing a stellar runout on the final delivery of the over.
With Rajat Patidar driving it back towards the non-striker's end, Santner on the follow through got his fingers on the ball before it hit the stumps.
Du Plessis didn't have his bat grounded and lost his wicket. With four tidy overs, a crucial run out and the big wicket of Kohli, Santner finished with fine figures, 1/23.
Maheesh Theekshana
On a day, most of the CSK bowlers were sent out of the park, Theekshana bowled a good spell to keep the RCB batters in check. Though he didn't get on the wicket taker's list, kept the RCB batters from running away with a mammoth total.
Theekshana came into the attack after the rain delay. After the rain break, the pitch seemed to have absorbed moisture with the CSK spinners making merry getting the ball to grip and turn. Theekshana came into the attack first, and he stopped RCB's rampaging start, keeping the openers quiet with an excellent first over. In his first over, Theekshana gave away just four runs to stop RCB's charge.
In his second, after du Plessis was beaten on the first ball, with the ball gripping and spinning sharply, the RCB skipper drilled down the next delivery to hammer Theekshana for a boundary. But the Sri Lankan bowler bounced back, conceding just one of the next four balls. It was another tidy over from Theekshana, with only five runs coming off it.
Returning in the 12th over, Theekshana was a tad expensive with du Plessis hammering him was a maximum over long off. But with du Plessis and Patidar scoring quickly, Theekshana did well to give away only 10.
Theekshana finished his spell with another tidy over, giving away just six.
Apart from Santner, Theekshana was the only other CSK bowler who restrained the RCB batters. Bowling at an economy of just 6.25, Theekshana turned in figures of 0/25.
Glenn Maxwell
After a quickfire cameo with the bat, Maxwell turned in the best figures for the hosts with the ball.
With Faf handing him the responsibility of opening the attack, Maxwell, gave RCB the perfect start to the chase. A half-tracker from Maxwell, with a hint of grip and bounce, saw Ruturaj Gaikwad misread it. The CSK captain looked to hit it out of the park and ended up hitting it straight to Yash Dayal.
Dismissing the in-form Gaikwad for a golden duck, Maxwell handed RCB the perfect start to the chase. Though with a wide and boundary, his first over went for runs too as he conceded 12.
Maxwell then bowled the fifth over and it was a tidy one as he kept Rachin Ravindra and Ajinkya Rahane in check, conceding just four.
Maxwell's economical overs put pressure on the CSK board as their asking rate zoomed up.
Returning to the attack in the 11th over, the Aussie all-rounder kept the batters in check conceding just four runs. In his final over, bowling the 13th, Maxwell would have picked up his second wicket of the night, but Shivam Dube was dropped by Mohammed Siraj.
But it was another fruitful over with Maxwell conceding just five and the set Ravindra being run out on the final ball of the over. Bowling at an economy of 6.25 Maxwell turned in figures of 1/25 to play a crucial role for the Challengers.
Yash Dayal
He had delivered with the new ball and at the death and in RCB's must-win encounter, Dayal came to his team's rescue once again.
Coming into the attack in the third over, Dayal struck with his second ball, as he sent Daryl Mitchell packing. Mitchell mistimed the shot and Virat Kohli picked up the catch to hand Dayal his first wicket of the evening. Though Ajinkya Rahane hammered him for a maximum over long leg, Dayal started his spell with a good over, conceding just seven runs and picking up a wicket.
In his next over, bowling the final over of the Powerplay, Dayal went for runs as he conceded three boundaries, leaking 15 runs. His fourth over too, saw him concede a six and a four, lgiving away 13 runs.
But he saved his best for the final over. Bowling the final over, Dayal put up a stellar show, facing off against the Great Finisher -- M S Dhoni -- and Ravindra Jadeja.
With CSK needing just 17 from the final over to qualify, Dayal conceded a six on the very first ball. A shortish delivery and MSD sent it out of the park with a cracking 110 metre six. Not the ideal start. But Dayal displayed nerves of steel, as he dismissed Dhoni on the next ball.
Thereon, Shardul Thakur was beaten on the third ball of the over, before he took a single and put Jadeja on strike. Needing 10 off 2, Jadeja was the man who could take CSK into the play-offs. But Dayal bowled two dots on the trot to knock CSK out of the tournament.
Conceding just 7 runs and picking up a wicket, Dayal bowled the match-winning over as RCB entered the IPL 2024 play-offs. Dayal turned in figures of 2/42, but his final over is the one everyone will remember.
It was redemption for Dayal, who was taken to the cleaners by Rinku Singh last year.
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