RCB crush CSK by 50 runs to end 17-year wait for a Chepauk victory
Chennai, Mar 28 (PTI): Skipper Rajat Patidar’s fortuitous fifty received excellent support from an unerring set of bowlers as Royal Challengers Bengaluru snapped a 17-year winless streak at Chepauk with a huge 50-run victory over Chennai Super Kings here on Friday.
Having fought their way to a competitive 196/7, RCB applied the perfect squeeze on CSK with early strikes and the five-time winners crumbled without any resistance, making 146/8.
CSK’s defeat to RCB in the “Southern Derby” in their own "Anbuden" (Den of Love) was their first since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008.
The value of the victory could have gauged from the wide smile on the face of old warhorse Virat Kohli, the only one man in this RCB line-up who was part of that distant 2008 victory.
RCB's win came courtesy a heady mix of orthodox game of giving it all with the bat and stifling the opposition with regular wickets.
But the Royal Challengers also had to thank CSK’s shocking lack of gumption as the home side never landed a punch in reply.
CSK never recovered from a poor start which saw them losing skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (0) among three wickets inside the first two overs.
The slide began in the second over when Rahul Tripathi (5) lobbed an easy catch to short midwicket off Josh Hazlewood (3/21) while attempting a pull.
Hazlewood dealt a body blow to CSK on the final ball when he had in-form Gaikwad caught at deep square leg for a four-ball duck, off a top edge which flew high in the air.
CSK slipped to 8/3 soon when Deepak Hooda edged one behind off Bhuvneshwar Kumar while looking to guide the ball to third man, which left the five-time champions in deep trouble.
Rachin Ravindra (41, 31 balls) and Sam Curran (8) did well to arrest the slump but in bargain they could not whittle down the asking rate, which swelled to 13 runs an over.
In the ninth over, Curran went after Liam Livingstone (4-0-28-2) but was caught at long on by Krunal Pandya and it was evident at this point that CSK were staring at a heavy loss.
The regular fall of wickets never really allowed Ravindra to take the aggressive route, and his resistance ended in the 13th over when he chopped Yash Dayal onto his stumps (2/18).
Dayal reaped further benefits of the mounting pressure when he had Shivam Dube (19) playing one onto the stumps.
CSK sent in R Ashwin here, and not MS Dhoni, which told CSK had given up the fight with 116 to get with seven overs in hand.
Dayal’s twin strikes in the 13th over harmed CSK as much as RCB’s Impact Sub Suyash Sharma's fine spell, delivering a measly 4-0-32-0 to tie down the opposition batters.
Dhoni struck three fours and two sixes to make 30 not out off 16 balls to go past Suresh Raina as CSK's highest run-scorer in IPL history, but that was only a minor consolation point.
Earlier, Patidar rode on his luck to make a vital 51 and along with Tim David (8-ball 22) lifted Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 196 for seven.
Patidar was dropped thrice by CSK fielders but he made most of the reprieves to score 51 off 32 balls (4x4s, 3x6s), providing his side a much-needed impetus in the middle-overs, while David's late burst made up for a mid-phase slump.
Early fireworks form Phil Salt (32 off 16 balls, 5x4s, 1x6s) and Devdutt Padikkal (27 off 14 balls, 2x4s, 2x6s) had masked Virat Kohli’s (31, 30 balls) struggle but their dismissals left RCB in doldrums.
Brief Scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 196 for 7 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 51, Virat Kohli 31, Philip Salt 32, Tim David 22 not out; Noor Ahmad 3/36, Matheesha Pathirana 2/36).
Chennai Super Kings: 146 for 8 in 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 41, MS Dhoni 30 not out; Josh Hazlewood 3/21, Yash Dayal 2/18, Liam Livingstone 2/28).
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Mass funeral of four brothers leaves UAE community in mourning after fatal road accident
Report: Thufail Muhammad Abudhabi
Dubai: The funeral of four young brothers who died in a tragic road accident near Abu Dhabi drew hundreds of mourners to the Al Qusais cemetery on Tuesday evening, leaving the UAE’s expatriate community in deep shock and grief.
The children Ashaj (14), Ammar (12), Azaam (8) and Ayyash (5) were the sons of Abdul Latheef and Ruksana, natives of Kerala’s Malappuram district. The family was returning to their Dubai residence after attending the Liwa Festival on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi when their car met with a fatal accident early Sunday morning.
Three of the children died on the spot, while Azaam succumbed to his injuries on Monday evening during treatment. The family’s domestic helper, Bushra Fayaz (49), also lost her life in the crash. Her body was repatriated to India on Monday night, and funeral rites were held in Kerala on Tuesday.
Abdul Latheef, who sustained injuries in the accident, arrived at the cemetery from Abu Dhabi in a wheelchair, his hand in a sling, to attend the burial of his sons. Mourners described the scene as one of the most heartbreaking they had ever witnessed.
“I have never seen the mass burial of children from the same family. It was devastating for everyone present,” said a social worker who assisted the family.
The couple’s only daughter, Izza (10), survived the accident with minor injuries and is undergoing treatment. Unaware of the loss of her brothers, she was seen playing on a mobile phone from her hospital bed.
Relatives said informing the parents about the tragedy was handled with extreme care. Abdul Latheef was told late on Sunday night, while Ruksana who had undergone surgery for an injury to her hand was informed only on Tuesday after counsellors were brought in to break the news professionally.
Before the burial, the parents were allowed to see their children one last time. Ruksana was taken by ambulance to the mortuary, while Abdul Latheef obtained special permission for temporary discharge from hospital to attend the funeral. Ruksana remained hospitalised with her daughter.
Though the family holds Ras Al Khaimah visas, special permission was obtained to conduct the burial in Dubai, where the family resides and where most relatives are based. Community members expressed gratitude to the Dubai authorities for facilitating the process.
Abdul Latheef runs a business in Ras Al Khaimah, while Ruksana works as a property consultant in Dubai. All five children were students of Arab Unity School in Dubai, following the British curriculum. The school management issued a circular to parents outlining measures to support students and families affected by the tragedy and advising on how to discuss the loss sensitively with children.
The cause of the accident has not yet been officially confirmed by Abu Dhabi Police. Public discussions have pointed to possible factors such as dense winter fog and overspeeding, though authorities are yet to release findings.
