Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 1st Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

There we have it then. After much anticipation and build-up, the 17th edition of the IPL is off and running. This is just the beginning of the nearly 2-month long cricket-festival and we've got some lip-smacking double-headers coming up over the next couple of days. Double all the glitz and glamour, double all the action and drama and of course, double all the thrills and frills. It was a great pleasure to bring you this opening encounter and we'll be right here covering every single game. For now though, this is Anurag Hegde signing off on behalf of Pradeep Krishnamurthy, Saurabh Shankar, V Harish and Siva. Take care and we'll see you tomorrow!

Mustafizur Rahman | Player of the Match

Ruturaj Gaikwad | CSK Captain: Total control I would say, right from the start (apart) from 2-3 overs. Would’ve loved 10-15 runs less but I think they played really well towards the end. I feel that was a big turning point to get Maxwell and Faf out. We got three quick wickets and it helped us control the next overs, that was the real turning point. I’ve always enjoyed it (captaincy), never felt it as an additional pressure. I had experience on how to handle it, never felt any pressure, obviously had Mahi (MS Dhoni) bhai as well. I think everyone in our squad are natural strokeplayers, I think even Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane) is playing really positively. Everyone knows their roles and which bowlers to take on. Role clarity really helps. Two-three things to work on, everyone batted well but I think if someone from the top 3 batted till the 15th over it would’ve been even easier.

Shivam Dube vs RCB in the IPL
46(32), Mumbai WS, 2021
95*(46), Mumbai DYP, 2022
52(27), Bengaluru, 2023
34*(28), Chennai, 2024
Total: 227 off 133, Avg: 113.50.50, SR: 170.67 4s/6s: 16/16

RCB in IPL season openers
2008: Lost to KKR by 140 runs
2017: Lost to SRH by 35 runs
2019: Lost to CSK by 7 wickets
2021: Won vs MI by 2 wickets
2024: Lost to CSK by 6 wickets

CSK vs RCB at Chepauk
Won by CSK: 8
Won by RCB: 1 (2008)

Most wins against a team in the IPL
23 - MI vs KKR
21 - CSK vs RCB
21 - KKR vs PBKS
20 - MI vs CSK
19 - CSK vs DC

Highest aggregate in an IPL game with no individual 50-plus score
349 - CSK vs RCB, Chennai, 2024
343 - GL vs RPS, Rajkot, 2017
343 - KKR vs CSK, Abu Dhabi, 2021
342 - PBKS vs RR, Mohali, 2014
337 - SRH vs KKR, Hyderabad, 2023

Rachin Ravindra: I think it was a pretty complete performance, we held our composure together towards the end, great hands from Jinx and Rutu as well. I wouldn't call myself a starter, I worked for around 3-4 days to get into the transition from red to white-ball. It was good, the training wicket was different, I wasn't sure if I was hitting well. Got a bit lucky at the start, but that helped me settle and get over my nervous energy. It's easier to settle into an environment when you know you have a couple of boys with whom you have hung around for a while.

Faf du Plessis | RCB Captain: Always when you play, you get a bit of dip after the six overs. Chennai are a very good team in the middle overs, they squeeze you with their spinners. Maybe we were about 15-20 runs short, the pitch wasn’t as bad as we played in the first 10 overs. They were always ahead in the chase, we tried to squeeze and get a couple of wickets, but in the end we didn’t have enough runs. On this pitch, it is always better to bat first. Last year, the record was very skewed towards teams that batted first. The ball started to grip a bit with our spinners. Really good for Dinesh to set up his season, especially for someone who hasn’t played a lot of cricket. Anuj has shown some great promise for us, he showed great composure for a young guy and great power through the backend.

CSK give their fans a win upon returning to their fortress. The packed house might not have had a chance to see their Thala out with the bat but they would've gotten what they bargained for. These are two fan-bases that love having a go at each other and the yellow-army take all the spoils tonight.

23:54 Local Time, 18:24 GMT, 23:54 IST: The defending champions, under a new captain but very much following the same ethos, are off to a winning start. They extend their superb home record against RCB and it's now 8-1 in CSK's favor. Probably not quite the nail-biting thriller that some would've hoped for but this grand tournament is off and flying. RCB did very well earlier to post 173 after being in strife at 78/5. It was a fighting total but they would've known that they would have to bowl well because the wicket got a bit better to bat on. CSK's openers got off to a flier and Rachin, in particular, had a debut to remember as he blasted a 15-ball 37. RCB pulled things back slightly in the middle overs and kept things interesting. There was a barrage of short balls and it got them a couple of wickets but they failed to adapt once it stopped working for them. They kept banging it in short while the batters knew exactly what was coming at them. Although Dube was initially uncomfortable, he hung in there and along with Jadeja, got the job done.

Alzarri Joseph to Shivam Dube, leg byes, FOUR, that'll do well enough for CSK! They get their 2024 campaign off to a winning start! Fired in full and at the boots, was just a touch down leg, Shivam Dube looked to flick it and missed, brushed his boot and went down fine to the fine-leg ropes

RCB review. They've got nothing going for themselves here, just a review in desperation

Alzarri Joseph to Shivam Dube, SIX, high and mighty! Banged in short on middle, there's only one thing coming at Shivam Dube and he knows what it is, he sits back comfortably and nails the hook high and over the long leg ropes

Alzarri Joseph to Shivam Dube, no run, banged in short on middle, Shivam Dube looks to take it on and misses, just went over the gloves, called one for the over

Alzarri Joseph to Shivam Dube, wide, full and just down leg, Shivam Dube looks to glance it fine and misses, will be a wide

Alzarri Joseph to Jadeja, 1 run, back of a length on leg-stump, pulled away to deep square leg

10 needed off 12. Should be CSK through and through barring a miracle

Siraj to Shivam Dube, no run, back of a length and slanting across outside off, Shivam Dube looks to slash it away and misses

Siraj to Shivam Dube, FOUR, lovely shot! RCB just adamant about bowling short here and they're paying for it, back of a length on middle, was pace off, Shivam Dube backed away to free his arms and slapped it back over the bowler, both mid-on and mid-off were up

Siraj to Shivam Dube, no run, low full-toss on off-stump, Shivam Dube finds cover with the drive

Siraj to Shivam Dube, no run, slower short ball outside off, Shivam Dube looks to reach it and tap it down and misses

Siraj to Shivam Dube, FOUR, 50-run stand comes up! This is just poor bowling, back of a length and on the hips, no one back at fine-leg and these are easy pickings for Dube as he tucks it away to the fine-leg fence