Bengaluru, April 5 (IANS) A marauding batting show led by Tim David, Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s incisive spell of 3-41 propelled defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a commanding 43-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their IPL 2026 encounter at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.

The marquee contest saw RCB’s batting unit dismantle CSK’s attack with relentless hitting, as David’s 70 not out off just 25 balls and Patidar’s unbeaten 48 off only 19 balls provided for a grandstand finish after Padikkal’s fluent 50 off 29 balls – his second consecutive fifty of the season – had set the tone for the daunting total.

The trio’s combined effort, including an unbroken 99-run stand off just 35 balls between David and Patidar, who indulged in mind-blowing range-hitting, lifted RCB to a daunting 250/3, thus setting a new record for highest total in IPL 2026.

After clobbering Noor Ahmad for three consecutive sixes, a sensational 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 just 21 balls. His power-hitting had even got Virat Kohli to rise from his seat in the RCB dugout.

In reply, CSK faltered under scoreboard pressure, with Sarfaraz Khan’s 50 off 24 balls and Prashant Veer’s 43 the lone acts of resistance amid a string of failures from the top order.

Bhuvneshwar was at his disciplined best and even crossed the 200-mark in terms of wickets in IPL, with others also chipping in as CSK were bowled out for 207 in 19.4 overs. The comprehensive win also meant RCB have registered four consecutive triumphs over CSK for the first time in the IPL’s history.

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 a towering 106m maximum going over the stadium’s roof – as a whopping 97 runs came off the last five overs.

CSK’s chase began on a shaky note as Jacob Duffy removed Ruturaj Gaikwad, while Bhuvneshwar claimed his 200th IPL wicket by taking out Ayush Mhatre cheaply. After Duffy dismissed Sanju Samson, Sarfaraz counter-attacked with a flurry of boundaries and sixes off Duffy, Bhuvneshwar and Abhinandan Singh to race to a half-century off just 24 balls.

But his dismissal to Krunal Pandya, who also dismissed Kartik Sharma, in the seventh over left CSK tottering at 84/5. After Shivam Dube’s vigil was cut short by Abhinandan, Veer and Jamie Overton joined forces for a spirited 57-run stand.

Veer struck 43 off 29 balls, while Overton smashed 37 off 16, but both perished to Bhuvneshwar and Suyash Sharma respectively. Noor Ahmad and Anshul Kamboj struck a few boundaries, but Bhuvneshwar and Abhinandan took them out to seal a great win for RCB in a contest which didn’t live up to its hype.

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) beat Chennai Super Kings 207 in 19.4 overs (Sarfaraz Khan 50, Prashant Veer 43; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-41, Abhinandan Singh 2-30) by 43 runs

–IANS

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