TABLE-TOPPING Royal Challengers Bengaluru thrashed Chennai Super Kings by 50 runs on Friday (28) for a second win in this year's IPL, inspired by a "game-changing" performance from fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.
Chasing 197, Chennai wilted despite a late cameo by veteran MS Dhoni who clubbed 30 runs off 16 balls, batting low down at nine in the order.
Australian seamer Hazlewood, who finished with 3-21 in his four overs, and skipper Rajat Patidar's 32-ball 51, sealed Bengaluru's comfortable victory.
Patidar, who is hoping to force his way into the India T20 team, was well-supported by teammates with openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli both making scores in the thirties in a total of 196-7.
Chennai lost early wickets to Hazlewood and India veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who finished with 1-20 in his three overs.
Hazlewood removed Rahul Tripathi (5) and Chennai skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (0) in the second over of the innings.
Deepak Hooda (4) was then dismissed by Kumar in the fifth over to leave the home team reeling at 26-3. Yash Dayal took 2-18 in his three overs with England's Liam Livingstone finishing with 2-28 in four overs of spin.
India duo Ravindra Jadeja (25) and Shivam Dube (19) put up some resistance before Chennai limped to 146-8.
Patidar said his "was a very important (innings). We were targeting 200 because that wouldn't be easy to chase" in Chennai.
"My goal was clear that as long as I was there, I would maximise every ball."
Patidar said that Hazlewood's spell "was game-changing because we got two-three wickets in the first six overs".
Earlier, Kohli made a scrappy 30-ball 31 with the Indian superstar and Salt (32), falling to Afghanistan leg-spinner Noor Ahmad.
Noor was the most impressive of all the Chennai bowlers and finished with an impressive 3-36 in his four overs.
Devdutt Padikkal (27) and Tim David, with an eight-ball 22, also played important roles to boost the visitors' total.
"It wasn't that easy to bat," said Chennai skipper Gaikwad who added "bad fielding cost us" the game.
(AFP)
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