Bethell 55, Kohli 62, Shepherd 14-ball 53 set CSK 214

High-intent half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell set the base for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Romario Shepherd launched from there at the death, as the hosts posted 213 for 5 on a fairly flat, hit-through-the-line pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Shepherd, picked ahead of Liam Livingstone once again, muscled a 14-ball fifty - only Yashasvi Jaiswal has hit a quicker fifty (13 balls) in the IPL. Ten of the 14 balls Shepherd faced went to the fence or cleared it.

Fittingly, Shepherd surged to the landmark by launching a six into the top tier over wide long-off, off the final ball of the innings bowled by Matheesha Pathirana.

Shepherd had come in to bat when RCB were 157 for 5 in the 18th over. In the 19th, he lined Khaleel Ahmed up for four sixes and a brace of fours, leaving him nursing figures of 3-0-65-0. Pathirana, who had done well in the middle overs, was then taken for two fours and two sixes in the last over.

A 200-plus total didn't look as likely when CSK's overseas bowlers had pulled RCB back in the middle overs. CSK's overseas bowlers, led by Pathirana, staged the fightback. Pathirana's change of action has come under scrutiny in IPL 2025 - his release point is higher than it was during the last season - but he showed better control on a small ground, executing his yorkers and slower variations, including the bouncer.

It was Pathirana who provided CSK with the first breakthrough in his first over when he drew a mis-hit from Bethell, with Dewald Brevis pulling off a screamer running in from deep square leg to dismiss him for 55 off 33 balls. Bethell's knock could have been cut short on 27, but Pathirana ended up colliding with Ravindra Jadeja, grassing the chance.

Bethell went on to bring up his first IPL half-century, in only his second innings, off 28 balls. As for Kohli, he got to his fifty off 29 balls and looked good for a big one, but a slower bouncer from Sam Curran removed him for 62 off 33 balls.

RCB's 71 for 0 in the first six overs was their highest powerplay total at home this season. Pathirana then combined with Noor Ahmad and Curran to bring CSK back, but Shepherd's sixes flipped the script in the end overs and set RCB up nicely.

CSK have now gone seven years without successfully chasing a 180-plus target.