Match overview
Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on 18 May 2024. RCB posted 218/5 after Chennai won the toss and elected to field. CSK gave themselves a chance with 58 runs in the powerplay, but a middle-overs collapse of 4 wickets for 71 runs between overs 7 and 15 ended the contest. They finished on 191/7, 27 short of the target. Faf du Plessis was named Player of the Match.
The result continued an impressive 2024 IPL campaign for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Going into the fixture they had won five matches on the bounce, and the Chinnaswamy surface played to their strengths as a batting unit. Chennai's toss call was by no means wrong. 76 per cent of sides winning the toss here choose to bowl. But RCB made them pay with a total that exceeded the ground average by 22 runs.
Venue and conditions
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is one of the more batter-friendly venues in the IPL. Across 142 T20 matches at the ground, the average first-innings score stands at 196 and the average second-innings score at 177. Those numbers tell their own story about scoring rates; sides batting first generally set totals in the 190-200 range, and chasing sides win around 55 per cent of the time.
In terms of phase splits, the powerplay average at Chinnaswamy is 43 runs, which makes RCB's 42 in their powerplay broadly on par with expectations. The death overs are where this fixture diverged sharply from the norm. The venue average for the final five overs is 40 runs; RCB scored 80 in that phase. CSK's death-overs batting produced 62, also above average, but by then the deficit was too great. The middle overs (overs 7-15) effectively decided the match: RCB scored 96 for 2, while CSK could manage only 71 for 4 in the same phase.
How to watch
IPL fixtures are broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Streaming is available through Sky Go for existing subscribers or via a NOW TV day pass for those without a full subscription. Afternoon fixtures in India (15:30 IST) typically start around 11:00 BST, while the more common evening slot (19:30 IST) corresponds to 15:00 BST. UK viewers are advised to check Sky's listings for the precise start time, as IPL scheduling does shift between the afternoon and evening windows across the tournament.
Recent form
RCB's form heading into this fixture was exceptional. Five wins from five in 2024. Against Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans (twice) and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Placed them among the strongest sides in the tournament at that point in the campaign. Their batting unit had been consistent, and Chinnaswamy's fast outfield and short boundaries gave them every opportunity to repeat the pattern.
Chennai's recent record was more mixed. Three wins and two defeats from their previous five games in 2024, with losses to Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings punctuating their campaign. Crucially, their two-wicket powerplay in this chase suggested early pressure from RCB's bowlers disrupted the platform CSK needed. For both sides, the next fixture in this season's schedule would demand better execution in the phases where this game slipped away from the visitor.
