New Delhi:
The twelfth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to begin with Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings take on Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening game at the Chepauk Stadium, Chennai. The streets in Chennai have started to blare horns, fans are on their feet as the excitement reaches the highest echelon to witness of can be a crackerjack of an encounter. Royal Challengers Bangalore hasn't won against Chennai Super Kings in their den post first season. So can they get back to the winning ways after 11 long years? - We will find out in three hours time from now on. Join us! LIVE SCORECARD
That's it from us! Hope you enjoyed our coverage. We will be back for the next game which is scheduled for tomorrow. Wish to see you all! Till then, tada!
CSK beat RCB by 7 wickets (Parthiv Patel 29, Imran Tahir 3/9)
This will be CSK's seventh consecutive win over RCB!
The way two teams have played today, if RCB would have scored between 100-120, it could well have been a winning score!
What an over it is turning out to be for RCB and Mohammad Siraj! 6 dot balls! WOW!
Doing the best thing now, making CSK wait for their first victory!
WICKET: Knocked him over! An absolute beauty of a delivery that was! Rayudu tried to go over the bowler, but the ball hit straight onto the stumps!
The best RCB can do here is to take this game as deep as possible. They have lost this game, now the idea should be to keep the ball margin "less". After 14 overs, it's 58/2.
CSK is now just three hits away! How important will be the net run rate here?
Though CSK isn't able to find the gaps, still are right on top with just 24 more required in the last nine overs. After 11 overs, it's 47/2.
WICKET: Second wicket DOWN! Didn't get the whole of it. Ali just slowed it in the air, eventually helping himself with a wicket! Raina OUT for 19.
ALERT: Suresh Raina becomes the first batsman to score 5000 IPL runs.
Runs have been tough to come by but even then CSK has been able to find a boundary or two in every three overs which eventually is making scoreboard moving. RCB, on the other hand, is still in search of wickets! After 8 overs, it's 33/1.
RCB is bowling well, but to be true, they need wickets. Otherwise, CSK will chase it with ease! Ali and Chahal have been able to restrict men-in-yellow, but wicket section still shows ONE! After 6 overs, it's 16/1.
DROPPED! Umesh Yadav not having the best time on the field!
Cautious start by Chennai Super Kings even though they have lost Watson early, they can still manage to play a little slow. After 3 overs, it's 10/1.
WICKET: First wicket down! Watson OUT for a duck. He wasn't looking in the best touch!
It wouldn't be wrong to say that Navdeep Saini is bowling at some serious pace. So good to see a young Indian bowler making a name for himself! After 2 overs, it's 8/0.
Joint second-lowest total for RCB. A night to forget!
RCB all out for 70. Can we see a turnaround or it will be a cakewalk?
WICKET: It wouldn't be wrong to say that it has been a sensational performance by Chennai Super Kings. Ninth wicket down. Absolute blunder. Jadeja picks his second!
In 66 runs scored till now, 27 have come from Parthiv Patel's bat. How bad has been RCB's day? After 15 overs, it's 66/8.
WICKET: Eighth wicket down. A night to forget for RCB. Spinners on charge. Tahir picks his third.
After 13 overs, Royal Challengers Bangalore is 59/7. Another 7 overs, where can we reach?
WICKET: 022 is Mumbai's Pincode or three debutants score?
Can RCB reach 100 total?
WICKET: First went straight and then it turned. Six down - RCB!
WICKET: The debutants are not having the best of times. First Hetmyer and now Dube. Half-side back to the pavilion.
Much-needed strategic timeout for Royal Challengers Bangalore. They are just not clicking with each other. Having lost four wickets in the first 9 overs, the road will be difficult in the last 11. After 9 overs, it's 45/4.
In a span of just 23 minutes, RCB has lost FOUR wickets!
WICKET: Blunder! RCB is in serious trouble! Hetmyer OUT without troubling the scorers!
WICKET: de Villiers OUT! Almost in a similar fashion as Virat Kohli did. And guess what? To the same fielder and bowler!
DROPPED! It was a pretty easy catch, going by the International standards.
Just the day CSK fans would be expecting! RCB batsmen are just not able to find the gaps and score at a quick pace. After 7 overs, 36/2.
Two wickets in two overs for Harbhajan Singh! What a start!
WICKET: Ali tried to chip the ball towards the leg side, but couldn't time it. Straight into the hands of Harbhajan Singh. Second Wicket DOWN!
FIRST WICKET: Virat Kohli tried to play over the mid-wicket fielder but couldn't clear the man. First wicket down for RCB. Harbhajan strikes.
Pressure looming on two openers as the struggle to find gaps. Four dot balls in a row. Sensational stuff from Deepak Chahar. After 3 overs, it's 15/0.
Superb over by Harbhajan. Didn't give even a single boundary. After 2 overs, it's 12/0.
Good over for Chennai Super Kings, except for the misfield by Thakur. Just 5 runs off the first over.
STAT: This is the 50th IPL game at M.A Chidambaram Stadium.
Skipper off the mark first runs for him and Bangalore.
Deepak Chahar will open the bowling for Chennai Super Kings. HERE WE GO! IPL 2019 STARTS!
The umpires are out in the middle. Virat Kohli and Parthiv Patel are making their way. MS Dhoni is giving the last minute pep talk. ACTION BEGINS!
Shimron Hetmyer, Navdeep Saini and Shivam Dube are making their debut for RCB in this match.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Parthiv Patel(w), Virat Kohli(c), Moeen Ali, AB de Villiers, Shimron Hetmyer, Shivam Dube, Colin de Grandhomme, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini
Virat Kohli will open the innings with Parthiv Patel.
Chennai Super Kings won the toss and opt to bowl against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Two big names MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are out in the middle now.
Simon Doull is joined with India legend Sunil Gavaskar for the pitch report and the duo believes that chasing will be easy at Chepauk. Well, will that be the case, will captain winning the toss will opt to bowl? - We're just minutes away from the toss.
Can Virat Kohli win his first game at Chepauk while captaining Royal Challengers Bangalore?
The toss is scheduled to happen in 10 minutes time from now on.
Hello and a warm welcome to the first game of the twelfth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The spectators are coming in and occupying their respective seats. The stadium has turned yellow which tells which team the spectators are supporting.
