CHAPTER 87: THE RUN CHASE BEGINS

The atmosphere inside the stadium was tense, but there was a noticeable shift in energy. For the first time in this season, RCB had dictated the match with their bowling, restricting Chennai Kings to a modest total of 145 for six. Yet, nobody celebrated. The real challenge had just begun.

The target was achievable, but that didn’t mean it would be easy. Chennai’s bowling attack had been consistent throughout the tournament, and their ability to defend low totals was well-documented. Their lead pacers had the ability to dismantle strong batting orders within a few overs, and RCB’s lineup knew that if they lost early wickets, the chase could spiral out of control.

In the dressing room, the players prepared themselves mentally. Virat Kohlie and Faf Duplesi, the designated openers, adjusted their gloves and went through their final warm-up drills. Raj stood quietly near the entrance, watching them. He knew how crucial the opening stand would be.

"Play your natural game," Raj said, turning toward Kohlie.

The experienced batter met his gaze. "We set the pace. No hesitation."

Raj nodded. This was where the real test of his leadership would begin.

Chennai had played a smart game earlier. They knew RCB’s reliance on aggressive batting and had prevented them from chasing in past seasons by attacking their weak spots. Tonight, they were looking to execute the same strategy.

Their plan was simple—break RCB’s momentum before it even started. The bowling attack had been structured carefully:

Deepak Chahar would swing the new ball, forcing Kohlie and Duplesi into caution during the first few overs.

An overseas pacer would complement Chahar, maintaining speed and precision to disrupt shot-making.

Spin introduction by the fifth over, targeting RCB’s middle order if early wickets were taken.

Chennai was not planning for a close contest. They were planning to crush RCB’s chase early.

Kohlie and Duplesi stepped onto the field. The crowd erupted, their cheers carrying waves of expectation. These were two of the most seasoned cricketers in ILP, and their ability to navigate Chennai’s bowling threats was well-proven.

As they approached the crease, Kohlie glanced toward the bowler’s mark. Chahar stood there, his focus locked on the pitch, rotating the ball in his fingers. Kohlie had faced him dozens of times before. He knew his bowling style, his strengths, his weaknesses.

But tonight, the situation was different. Chennai had the upper hand in terms of mental advantage—they had successfully put RCB under pressure in previous encounters, and Kohlie was aware of how the opposition was expecting RCB to crumble again.

"Forget past matches," Duplesi muttered beside him. "This is our game to control."

Kohlie smiled slightly. "Let’s show them what control looks like."

Chahar took a deep breath, adjusted his run-up, and sprinted toward the crease. The ball swung late as it pitched on middle stump, angling away sharply.

Kohlie read the movement instantly. His feet adjusted smoothly, his bat met the ball at the perfect moment, and he punched it through the gap at cover.

A confident single.

It was not about the runs—it was about the message.

RCB was here to chase without fear.

The match had officially begun.

The energy in the stadium shifted as RCB prepared to execute their chase. The pressure of two consecutive losses had weighed on the team, but tonight, there was a difference. The bowling unit had performed beyond expectations, Raj had controlled the game strategically, and now, it was time for the batters to deliver.

The required target—146 runs in 20 overs—was straightforward. On most days, this would be a comfortable chase for an aggressive batting lineup like RCB’s. But Chennai had no intention of allowing them to ease into the innings.

Their bowlers stood ready, focused, knowing they had one objective—break RCB’s opening stand early and force pressure onto Raj before he even walked in.

Virat Kohlie adjusted his gloves, tapping his bat twice against the pitch. Across from him, Deepak Chahar rolled the ball in his fingers, calculating his line. His first delivery had already shown signs of dangerous swing.

RCB knew the battle would start from the very first over.

The opening phase was always crucial. Chahar understood the conditions well, and he wasn’t going to offer easy deliveries for RCB’s batters to attack immediately.

First ball—full, angling toward off-stump. Kohlie stepped forward, soft hands, defensive stroke.

Second ball—slightly shorter, shaping in. Kohlie adjusted, tapped it toward point, no single taken.

Third ball—again, full, swinging away late. Kohlie read the movement and let it pass.

Three deliveries without a run, but Kohlie didn’t look unsettled. He knew Chennai’s plan—force a slow start, make RCB impatient, and capitalize on a reckless shot.

Duplesi signaled from the non-striker’s end. He had seen this before.

The fourth ball came, slightly wider. Kohlie reacted immediately, leaning into the stroke and sending it between point and cover.

The ball raced toward the boundary.No excessive celebration, just focus.RCB was here to chase with composure.

With four runs on the board, Chahar signaled to his fielders. He was adjusting his attack immediately, moving fine leg slightly squarer, pulling the point fielder closer, eliminating gaps.

RCB recognized what Chennai was doing. The intent was clear—force them into singles, deny boundaries, stretch the chase longer.

Duplesi took strike next. He wasn’t going to let Chennai dictate pace without resistance.

First ball—a short one, targeted at the ribs. Duplesi rocked back and pulled strongly, but found the fielder at deep square leg. Only a single.

Second ball—overpitched, angling in toward leg stump. Duplesi flicked effortlessly, sending it toward deep mid-wicket. Another single.

The scoreboard ticked, but Chennai remained confident.

The third ball came fast—short again, but this time slightly wider. Duplesi adjusted, lifted the bat higher, and sent it soaring past deep backward point.

Four runs.RCB wasn’t playing defensively anymore.

From the sideline, Raj analyzed every delivery. He wasn’t going to intervene yet, but he was watching for patterns. Chennai’s bowlers were relying on minor changes rather than major adjustments.

"They don’t want us accelerating too early," Raj muttered. The coaching staff beside him nodded.

The idea was simple—if RCB could keep their early momentum intact, Chennai wouldn’t have a second phase of attack ready before spin entered the game.

Raj signaled to Kohlie after the over ended.

"Play through. They’ll switch to defensive fields soon."

Kohlie understood immediately.The chase was entering its next phase.

The powerplay had ended, and as the fielders repositioned themselves on the outfield, the atmosphere in the stadium shifted noticeably. The early overs had been played with caution, as Virat Kohlie and Faf Duplesi carefully navigated the initial onslaught from Chennai’s fast bowlers. Their measured approach had preserved stability, but the real test now lay in adapting to a change in conditions and tactics.

Chennai’s captain had signaled a shift in strategy, and in response, Chennai was bringing in their experienced off-spinner to exploit any lapses in timing and provoke miscalculations.

At the start of the seventh over, a subtle change took place. Deepak Chahar, who had spearheaded the early aggression, was replaced by Kamlesh, Chennai’s specialist off-spinner. Kamlesh had a reputation for being economical, using flight and drift to deceive even the most resolute batsmen.

Raj, from the dugout, observed every nuance—the change in the bowler’s hand, the alteration in field placements, and the silent communication between the bowlers and their captain. For Raj, this was a moment of truth.

The opening partnership had started slowly, their score modest but stable, and this phase of the match was critical to build a foundation for an explosive middle order later on.

Kohlie, who had demonstrated his mastery of pace earlier, now turned his attention to the spin. The off-spinner’s first ball in the middle overs was a measured delivery, looping in the air before dipping towards the stumps.

Kohlie watched it keenly. Recognizing the subtle drift that was a trademark of Kamlesh’s bowling, he allowed the ball to go through to the keeper without an attempt to drive or cut.

Duplesi, at the non-striker’s end, maintained his focus, occasionally exchanging tactical nods with Kohlie as they adjusted to the new conditions.

The spinner’s control was evident as he continued his spell. His second delivery of the first over in the middle phase pitched on a good length, and Kohlie, with his eyes fixed on the ball, played a defensive forward press. The ball ricocheted gently to the offside, and a single was squeezed through a narrow gap between fielders.

The pressure on Chennai was mounting—even as the batsmen made a cautious start, every run was hard-fought against an unyielding opposition.

Raj, ever the strategic thinker, had already communicated his plan before the over began. He instructed his openers to be patient but also to be prepared for sudden opportunities.

"Watch for slight variations in length," he had said. "The spinner will try to lull you into a defensive pattern; instead, be alert for those extra full balls that can be driven. Look for gaps in the infield."

His words resonated clearly in the stressful silence of the middle overs.

As Kamlesh settled into his rhythm, he began to vary his pace. On the fourth ball of the over, he bowled a ball that was fuller than the previous ones, giving Kohlie an opportunity. With impeccable timing born out of his years of experience, Kohlie swung his bat in a controlled manner, finding the boundary through mid-off.

The sound of the ball brushing past the fielder’s glove as it raced away over the boundary line ignited a cheer from the crowd.

Yet, in that moment, Kohlie did not smile widely or celebrate excessively. He simply acknowledged the breach and then reset his focus, aware that each run conceded in these middle overs was precious.

In the next ball, Kamlesh returned to his more deceptive line, and Kohlie chose to let it pass, awaiting a better chance.

The over concluded with two singles taken—a modest gain, yet reflective of the disciplined approach that Raj’s team had been fostering.

The score was inching up slowly, and the openers had now collectively added around 20 runs to the initial stand. Every run came as a result of careful judgment, not exuberant hitting—a style enforced by the conditions and by Raj’s insistence on a foundation built on patience.

Between overs, the commentary box buzzed with analysis. Experts debated whether Chennai’s spinner would eventually find a breakthrough if the openers continued to play defensively, while others lauded Raj’s tactical acumen.

The discussions highlighted a crucial aspect of the game: momentum could shift very quickly, and the middle overs were where that shift was often determined.

The openers’ measured approach was a double-edged sword—on one side, it preserved wickets, but on the other, it risked ceding control to the opposition if Chennai’s bowlers managed to tighten the noose further.

As the eighth over commenced, Raj made a subtle yet significant decision. Recognizing that a purely defensive approach might allow time for Chennai to regroup and use their spinners more effectively, he signaled to the openers that it was time to look for controlled aggression.

He wanted a modest acceleration—a consistent scoring rate that could build a platform without incurring undue risk.

"Keep adjusting your footwork," Raj instructed from the sidelines, "but be ready to pick that gap when it appears. Do not force your shots."

In response to Raj’s call, Kohlie began to test the boundaries of what was safe.

On the first ball of the eighth over, as Kamlesh delivered with his characteristic loop, Kohlie played a lofted drive aimed at deep mid-wicket.

The ball sailed gracefully, but it fell just short of the boundary.

A couple of quick singles later, Kohlie and Duplesi managed to convert those risky strokes into well-taken boundaries.

The momentum started to build gradually.

The score, which had earlier been a modest total, now climbed to the mid-20s as the duo began to settle into a rhythm.

On the next ball, Duplesi found a compact gap at square leg and drove the ball into the vacant region, earning a couple of extra runs.

He and Kohlie began exchanging quick singles, their running between the wickets crisp and assured.

The openers’ adaptability in switching from a defensive mindset to opportunistic scoring was becoming evident with each over.

Both batsmen were aware that controlling the pace of the chase was as much about preserving energy for later overs as it was about finding the right balance between caution and aggression.

In the ninth over, Chennai’s response was to alter their field settings further. The off-spinner, sensing the change in approach, began focusing on creating uncertainty.

Kamlesh bowled a ball that spun sharply away from Duplesi.

The ball missed the bat completely, and with a quick dive, the keeper managed to secure it, but not before chaotic chatter erupted from the field about whether a wicket had been missed.

Duplesi held his ground, though visibly frustrated by the near miss, while Kohlie maintained his concentration.

Raj’s voice was heard over the field, steady and encouraging, telling them to keep their composure.

As the ninth over came to a close, the score now hovered around 30 runs without the loss of any wickets.

Raj’s optimism was not misplaced.

His calculated risk in encouraging his openers to be more aggressive during this phase was starting to pay dividends.

The openers’ performance was a testament to his leadership—adapting their planned approach in real-time to counter the varied tactics of Chennai’s bowlers.

The stadium held its breath as RCB entered the most crucial phase of their chase. For fourteen overs, the foundation had been set with careful accumulation, thanks to Virat Kohlie and Faf Duplesi, who had maintained their composure against Chennai’s disciplined bowling attack.

The score stood at 56 for one, with Kohlie dismissed after an invaluable contribution, and now, all eyes turned to the man who had been waiting for this moment since the start of the season—Raj.

He walked to the crease with measured strides, his bat tapping lightly against his pads as he assessed the field placements. His ILP debut with the bat was finally here, and it was no ordinary entrance. He was taking charge of the chase at a moment when every decision mattered.

The equation was straightforward—RCB needed 90 runs in 36 balls. The ask rate had crept above 10 runs per over, a precarious position that required a mix of calculated aggression and risk awareness.

The bowling attack Chennai had prepared was built around controlling Raj’s stroke play. They knew his reputation—his ability to anchor an innings, his knack for breaking down opposition strategies, and his sharp reading of game conditions.

Chennai’s captain had anticipated Raj’s arrival and made adjustments before he even stepped onto the field. The field was set deep, protecting boundaries while encouraging RCB to rely on singles.

Raj glanced toward Duplesi at the non-striker’s end. Their partnership had to work seamlessly—Duplesi had been on the crease since the first ball, while Raj was new to the pitch. The balance between urgency and caution was delicate, but the task was clear.

The first delivery he faced was a slower one. The bowler, sensing the enormity of the moment, had disguised the ball well, its lack of pace causing Raj to readjust mid-shot. He controlled the stroke, tapping it softly to short cover. No run.

The next ball was fired in full and straight, aimed at the pads. Raj stepped forward, driving it cleanly along the ground, finding the gap at mid-on. The ball rolled away sharply, and Duplesi responded immediately. They sprinted between the wickets, completing two quick runs.

Each stroke tested not just Raj’s technique, but his ability to settle quickly into an innings that was already halfway complete.

Chennai’s bowlers recognized Raj’s approach. He wasn’t rushing, but he wasn’t entirely defensive either. He was surveying the bowler’s patterns, understanding how each variation was being executed, and adjusting accordingly.

The Chennai captain signaled for a change in attack—spin was removed, pace returned. Their intention was clear: force Raj into playing shots sooner than he wanted.

The next over began with the pacer charging in, his run-up long, the rhythm suggesting an intent to attack the stumps. Raj anticipated a change in strategy and adjusted his stance slightly.

The ball arrived at a sharp length, cutting inward, forcing Raj onto the back foot. He reacted instinctively, slicing his bat down at the ball’s seam, guiding it past backward point.

Two runs.

Duplesi nodded approvingly at the other end—Raj’s control was evident.

But Chennai didn’t relent. They adjusted their angles, altering the line to challenge Raj’s ability to play inside-out shots. The bowler fired a wide yorker, a delivery Raj could not attempt to lift without risk. He dug it out safely, earning a single toward third man.

A conversation unfolded between Duplesi and Raj between deliveries.

"They’ll try to push us deeper into the innings before allowing boundary opportunities," Duplesi said.

Raj nodded. "We change that before they expect it."

By the time 17 overs had passed, RCB was 73 for one, the required rate climbing further. Chennai believed they had done enough to control the game, but Raj had planned his acceleration phase precisely for this moment.

On the first ball of the 18th over, he took his stance, reading the bowler’s movement. The field was set deep again, boundary riders positioned meticulously to deny easy runs.

The bowler charged in, delivering a full-length ball, but Raj stepped forward with intent. He drove it powerfully through the covers, a shot so precisely timed that it bisected the two fielders. The ball raced past the ropes.

Four runs.

The momentum began to shift.

Chennai’s captain responded immediately, adjusting the field to cut off that stroke for the next ball. The bowler compensated by delivering short, expecting Raj to pull aggressively.

Raj read it early. Instead of pulling, he waited, allowing the ball to come onto the bat before flicking it square.

Another four.

The crowd erupted—Raj wasn’t just anchoring the innings, he was taking control.

The equation shifted. RCB now needed 50 runs from 18 balls.

The atmosphere inside the stadium had transformed into pure tension. Raj had shifted gears, his two back-to-back boundaries off the 18th over signaling RCB’s intent to close the chase on their own terms. The scoreboard read 96 for one, and the equation had narrowed—50 runs needed from 18 balls. The required rate was climbing rapidly, and every ball from this point onward would define the outcome of the match.

Chennai’s captain walked to his bowler, giving instructions in hushed yet deliberate tones. Their original plan had been containment, but now they knew they could no longer simply restrict RCB with defensive tactics. They needed breakthroughs. They needed wickets. And more than anything, they needed a plan to remove Raj before he could swing the match completely in RCB’s favor.

On the field, Raj was aware of this shift in pressure. He glanced at Duplesi, whose breathing was steady despite the weight of expectation hanging over the team.

"They’ll come at us now," Raj muttered.

Duplesi simply nodded. "Let them. We play smart."

The bowler was now ready to deliver the first ball of the 19th over. His run-up was measured, his pace calculated. He fired in a fast, full-length ball targeting the off stump, hoping to force Raj into a mistimed drive.

Raj saw it early. His front foot planted firmly as he swung his bat through the gap in the covers. The timing was perfect. The ball rocketed off his bat, slicing between the fielders, and raced toward the boundary.

Four runs.

Chennai’s dugout remained silent, while RCB’s players clenched their fists in anticipation. The equation had changed again—46 needed from 17 balls.

The bowler took a deep breath, recalibrating his next move. He had seen that Raj was picking his line early, so he shifted strategy slightly. Instead of full deliveries, he opted for a short-pitched ball, angling in toward Raj’s body.

Raj anticipated the change but didn’t attack immediately. Instead, he stepped back, letting the ball pass through to the keeper. No run.

This single moment was a mind game. Chennai wanted RCB to panic. They wanted Raj to force an unnatural shot under pressure. But Raj knew better. He had seen this tactic unfold in countless high-pressure matches in domestic cricket.

The next ball arrived at nearly the same length, but Raj was ready this time. He positioned himself early, leaning back, rolling his wrists over the ball, and guiding it past short fine-leg.

Two runs.

The required rate was high, but Raj wasn’t rushing. He was dictating pace on his own terms.

For the next two deliveries, Duplesi took strike. The bowler adjusted again, reverting to full-length deliveries to disrupt Duplesi’s rhythm.

First ball—pushed down the ground, fielded well. No run.

Second ball—short delivery, angled toward the hip. Duplesi swiveled and pulled hard, sending it past square leg.

Four runs.

The crowd erupted—RCB had refused to let pressure dictate their approach.

Now, 40 needed from 13 balls.

As the bowler marked his run-up for the final over, both captains were locked in concentration.

For Chennai, the challenge was simple—defend 40 runs. Their bowlers needed discipline, precision, and nerves of steel.

For RCB, it was about trusting their preparation and execution.

Raj took guard once more. He scanned the field—deep placements at mid-wicket and long-on, forcing him to play behind square if he wanted boundaries.

The bowler ran in, firing a yorker toward off-stump. Raj read the trajectory instantly. Instead of driving, he opened his bat face and directed the ball behind backward point.

Four runs.

The crowd was on its feet now. 36 needed from 11 balls.

The bowler adjusted again. His next ball was a slower one, disguised carefully to tempt Raj into an early stroke.

Raj wasn’t fooled. He waited until the ball arrived at waist height before slicing it over the infield.

Another boundary.

The entire stadium erupted. The scoreboard flashed—32 needed from 10 balls.

Chennai’s fielders shifted uneasily.For the first time in the match, RCB controlled the tempo completely.

Raj stood firm. He had taken his team to the brink, but the final step was the hardest.

Chennai had one last chance to hold their ground.

The bowler sprinted in for the final delivery of his spell.The ball pitched short, arriving toward Raj at chest height.

Raj stepped into position.And swung.

The ball soared into the sky, the entire stadium holding its breath.

Would it clear the boundary?

To be continued....