CHAPTER 86: MATCH 3 – RCB VS CHENNAI KINGS

The evening sky over Bangalore was painted with shades of deep blue and crimson as thousands of fans poured into the stadium. The energy was unmistakable—their team was on the brink of disaster, having lost the first two matches of the season. But today was different. Today, Raj was leading RCB onto the field for the first time.

The cheers rang out from every corner of the stands as he walked toward the center of the pitch, the weight of his captaincy pressing down on his shoulders.

RCB had never been a team that lacked talent. Over the years, they had boasted some of the greatest batsmen in the world. Yet the trophy had always eluded them, slipping through their grasp each season. Now, as Raj tied his wristband and adjusted his cap, he knew that more than just a match was on the line—he was stepping into a legacy of unfinished business.

Chennai Kings had arrived in Bangalore with confidence bordering on arrogance. They were the strongest team so far this season, winning their first two matches convincingly. They had an explosive batting order, a bowling attack that had torn through opponents, and a strategy built around psychological warfare. Their sledging had already begun even before the toss.

David Worner, Chennai’s vice-captain, had spoken to the press that morning.

"RCB is struggling, and now they’re throwing an untested captain into the fire. This isn’t just bad strategy—it’s desperation."

The words had played in endless loops on sports channels, fueling the anticipation for this match. Would Raj crumble under pressure, or would he rise to silence his critics?

The Toss – Raj’s First Official Call as Captain

The cameras focused on him as he walked to the center for the toss. Chennai’s captain, Rithik Sharma, was already standing there, casually spinning the coin between his fingers.

"I hear you like chasing," Rithik said with a smirk.

Raj didn’t react. He had read Chennai’s tactics before the match. They would try to break his composure early, force him into a decision under pressure.

The coin went up. It landed.

RCB won the toss.

He could feel the eyes of Virat Kohlie, Faf Duplesi, and Glenn Maxwel on him, waiting for his decision. For years, RCB had preferred chasing, believing their batting strength could overpower any score.

But Raj saw something different in Chennai’s playing eleven.

He turned to the match referee.

"We bowl first."

A slight murmur spread through the crowd. The commentators were surprised. Chennai’s bowlers were their main weapon—RCB was essentially putting themselves at a disadvantage. But Raj had seen what others hadn’t. He wasn’t playing to follow old formulas—he was playing to win in his own style.

Chennai’s captain looked amused.

"Brave decision," he said.

Raj didn’t respond. His focus was already locked in.

As Chennai’s opening batsmen took their positions, RCB’s bowlers waited for Raj’s instructions. Until now, they had followed conventional setups—keeping deep square leg, holding mid-off steady, playing cautiously.

But Raj wanted aggression.

"We go all-in," he told Mohammad Siraaj, RCB’s strike bowler. "Don’t hold back. First five overs—pure pace. Let’s suffocate them."

Siraaj grinned. It was the kind of strategy RCB had been missing for years.

Within moments, Raj had shifted the field placements, bringing mid-on tighter, moving the fine leg up to squeeze Chennai’s aggressive openers, and creating a pressure trap.

This was it.

The first ball was about to be bowled.Raj took his position at cover, ready to watch how his captaincy debut unfolded.

The crowd roared as Mohammad Siraaj stood at the top of his mark, gripping the ball tightly. The atmosphere was charged with expectation—RCB had never started an ILP match this aggressively before. Usually, they preferred playing it safe in the powerplay, controlling the game rather than dictating it. But Raj had changed that. He wanted intensity from the first ball.

The first over was crucial.

Opposing him was Chennai’s star opener, Rithik Sharma, a batter known for dominating powerplays. His presence was intimidating—his stance confident, his bat lightly tapping against his pads as he prepared for the first delivery.

Raj stood at cover, eyes locked on Siraaj.

"Set the tone."

Siraaj exhaled, ran in, and bowled a 145 km/h delivery straight at the stumps.It swung.Rithik barely managed to block it.

The stadium erupted—this was what they had been waiting for. A captain who wasn’t afraid to attack first.

Powerplay

RCB had always relied on their batting dominance to carry them through matches. Their bowling unit, while talented, often played second fiddle to their star batters. But Raj knew that wouldn’t work against Chennai—they had aggressive hitters who could dismantle any total.

His plan was simple—put Chennai on the defensive immediately.The field placements reflected his mindset:

A deep point for cut shots—Chennai’s batters loved playing behind square early in the innings.

A packed off-side ring—forcing them to play straight rather than free their arms.

Short-leg in play—telling the bowler to keep attacking the stumps.

Most captains would have kept a balanced field, giving batters space to take singles and ease into the innings. Raj didn’t.

"We suffocate them," he told his bowlers. "Let’s see how much confidence they really have."

It worked.

By the third over, Siraaj was fully locked in. His deliveries were swinging late, his pace was pushing past 145 km/h consistently, and Chennai’s openers were visibly uncomfortable.

Raj, watching from cover, could see the frustration building in Rithik Sharma.

Chennai had expected a predictable RCB approach—something they had exploited for years. But tonight, they weren’t facing the RCB of the past.

"Another short one," Raj signaled to Siraaj.

The bowler nodded, ran in, and delivered a sharp bouncer. Rithik tried to hook but mishit itcompletely—the ball flew toward fine-leg.

Fielder stationed there? Yes.

Caught? No.

Just short.But the message was clear—RCB wasn’t backing down.

At the end of the powerplay, Chennai was 36/1, having lost their first wicket in the fifth over. It wasn’t a collapse, but they weren’t dominating either.

Now, their middle order had to rebuild, and this was where Raj’s captaincy would truly be tested.

David Worner, Chennai’s tactical genius, walked in. This was a direct battle—Worner had mocked Raj’s captaincy before the game, calling him inexperienced, untested, and not fit for ILP pressure.

Raj observed him closely. Worner wasn’t in a rush—he played cautiously, reading RCB’s fielding structure.

"Change the plan," Raj told his bowlers.

Instead of attacking aggressively, he did the opposite—he spread the field, took out the catching positions, and invited Worner to attack.

For three balls, Worner hesitated.

Fourth ball—he took the bait and tried to loft it over cover.

Mistimed and the ball went straight to Faf Duplesi.

Caught.

Raj didn’t celebrate wildly. He simply looked toward the departing batter, nodding slightly.

"Untested, huh?" he muttered under his breath.

With two wickets down inside the powerplay, Chennai Kings were forced into a defensive mode. Their opening assault had failed, their middle-order was now in charge of rebuilding, and RCB held the advantage for the first time in the tournament.

Raj stood near the pitch, watching Chennai’s batters adjust. He had expected them to go aggressive immediately, but after losing David Worner, they had decided to slow the pace.

Their new plan was clear—rotate the strike, avoid unnecessary risks, and push the match deeper where RCB’s death bowling could be challenged.

RCB’s bowlers huddled around Raj before the next over.

"They’re playing defensively," Siraaj said. "Should we push harder?"

"No," Raj responded immediately. "Let them settle. We force them to take risks before they’re ready."

The team understood. Instead of applying immediate pressure, Raj changed the field again—he spread out the placements, pulling in extra deep fielders to ensure no boundaries could be scored easily.

Chennai had no choice but to take singles.

From overs 7 to 14, Chennai struggled to accelerate, scoring at only 6 runs per over.

Current Score After 14 Overs:

Chennai Kings 82/3

Run Rate: 5.85

Required Boost: Urgent acceleration needed

RCB’s bowlers had executed Raj’s plan perfectly. The field placements were forcing Chennai to play straight, limiting their freedom to cut or pull.

The crowd could feel the shift—for years, RCB had relied on its batting firepower, but now, under Raj’s command, their bowling was leading the match.

Chennai Kings couldn’t afford to keep playing slow. Their batting lineup was packed with hitters, but the longer they stayed cautious, the harder it became to set a challenging total.

Their captain, Rithik Sharma, turned to his partner in frustration.

"Time to go big."

In the fifteenth over, Chennai changed gears.

First sign of aggression: Rithik stepped out of his crease and lofted the ball over covers—boundary!

Second attack: Next ball, he pulled it over square leg—another boundary!

RCB’s fielders looked at Raj—what was the response?

Raj signaled calmly.

"Stick to the plan. Don’t panic."

Chennai had accelerated past 100 runs, but Raj knew their aggressive push had one weakness—predictability.

Their batters were now attacking blindly, eager to compensate for their slow start. This was Raj’s chance.

For the next delivery, he shifted the deep cover fielder slightly wider, creating a gap that Chennai’s batter would try to exploit.

Siraaj ran in, delivered a slower ball, and Rithik took the bait—he tried to cut it over cover.

He failed.The ball flew toward the adjusted fielder.Caught.Wicket down.

The stadium erupted—Chennai’s most dangerous player was gone, and the middle overs belonged to RCB.

Raj simply nodded. The plan had worked.

As Chennai Kings entered the final stretch of their innings, the pressure was immense. Their top order had faltered, their middle overs had lacked acceleration, and now they had just six overs left to push past a modest total. The scoreboard showed 107/4 in 14 overs, an unusual position for a team known for its explosive finishes.

RCB, on the other hand, had successfully dictated the match so far. Under Raj’s leadership, their bowlers had tightened the field, shifted tactics at crucial moments, and cut off Chennai’s scoring options effectively. But Raj knew that the real battle lay ahead—the death overs were where games were often won or lost.

Chennai’s batting lineup still had firepower left. Deepak Chahar was not just a bowler—he could clear the ropes when needed. At the non-striker’s end stood Andre Russell, a batter who had built his reputation on late-game destruction. He had yet to unleash his signature aggression.

Raj leaned forward from cover, scanning his bowler’s body language. This was the moment RCB needed to execute their most calculated bowling phase.

"We keep the ball out of their hitting zones," Raj instructed. "Make them play into gaps instead of clearing boundaries."

His bowlers nodded in agreement. They had slowed the game’s pace all evening. Now, they had to maintain control despite Chennai’s desperation.

Russell took guard. The stadium was aware of what was coming—his stance alone screamed intent. His method was direct: he would take on the bowlers immediately, shifting momentum in Chennai’s favor before it was too late.

Mohammad Siraaj ran in.

First ball—short, angled toward the body. Russell rocked back and pulled hard. The crowd erupted as the ball raced to the deep mid-wicket boundary.

Second ball—Siraaj adjusted, going full outside off. Russell anticipated it, driving fiercely between point and cover. Another boundary.

In the space of two deliveries, Russell had done what Chennai needed—he had forced RCB onto the back foot.

The Chennai dugout was awake now.

Raj walked up to Siraaj. He spoke low, just enough for his bowler to hear.

"They’re waiting for the wide or short ball. We go straight at the stumps."

Siraaj nodded and returned to his mark.

Third ball—full, straight, Yorker-length. Rossoll attempted a flick but only managed to squeeze out a single. It wasn’t a boundary, and more importantly, it shifted the strike.

Rossoll shook his head, frustrated. He had lost his timing.

Chennai was 129/5 going into the eighteenth over, and Raj brought back his most experienced death-over specialist, Jush Hazeelwood.

Huzeelwood had the ability to execute precise Yorkers—the kind of deliveries that Russell hated facing when he wasn’t fully settled.

First ball—full, angling away. Russell swung hard but missed.

Second ball—same length, wider outside off. A false shot, leading to another dot ball.

Raj could feel the shift again. This was the trap he had set earlier in the match, dragging the game into a low-scoring phase where Chennai had to take risks against tight bowling.

Rossell tried to change his approach on the third ball, stepping forward to convert the Yorker into a lofted shot. He failed. The ball struck the toe of his bat and looped straight into the hands of extra cover.

Wicket.

The stadium exploded in celebration.

Rossell, Chennai’s greatest threat, was gone.

With just six balls remaining, Chennai was on 139/6. The innings had not gone as planned. They had been restricted, forced to play defensively, and now, their finishing ability had been neutralized.

RCB’s bowlers had done the job. Now, all that remained was ensuring the final six deliveries did not lead to unnecessary runs.

Hazulewood completed the task efficiently, conceding only six runs off the final over.

Chennai ended their innings at 145/6 in 20 overs.

The total was lower than what was expected, but Raj didn’t celebrate yet. He had learned from watching RCB’s past seasons—matches were not won just by restricting opponents. They had to be finished properly, too.

He turned toward the dressing room.

"Our chase starts now."

Scorecard – Chennai Kings Innings

Batting Performance:

Rithik Sharma: 42 (35)

David Worner: 18 (21)

Andre Rossell: 26 (19)

Dipak Chehar: 12 (9)

Extras: 10

Total: 145/6 in 20 overs

Bowling Performance (RCB):

Mohammad Siraaj: 4-0-32-2

Josh Hazulwood: 4-0-25-1

Faf Dublesi (part-time spin): 2-0-10-0

To be continued.....