Bengaluru go top of the IPL after epic two-run win over Chennai

BENGALURU, India — Fast bowler Yash Dayal held his nerve to give table-topping Royal Challengers Bengaluru a sensational two-run win over Chennai Super Kings in a last-ball Indian Premier League thriller on Saturday.

Chennai, already eliminated from playoffs contention, needed 15 off the last over to prevent Bengaluru from notching its eighth win and topping the table.

Dayal faced Ravindra Jadeja, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and impact player Shivam Dube and used full tosses and yorkers to dismiss Dhoni off the third ball and concede three singles off the last three balls.

Chennai was stranded on 211-5 after nearly chasing down Bengaluru's 213-5.

''I felt I should have converted a couple of more shots, and eased the pressure, so I will take the blame for it,'' Dhoni said.

Mhatre and Jadeja efforts in vain

The 17-year-old opener Ayush Mhatre kept Chennai in the hunt with a scintillating 94 off 48 balls, supported by Jadeja's unbeaten 77.

Mhatre and Jadeja stitched a rollicking 114-run partnership off 64 balls. Both batters were dropped in Dayal's second spell.

South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, who replaced an injured Josh Hazlewood, the IPL's second leading wickt-taker, brought Bengaluru back in the game with two wickets in two balls in the 17th over.

Ngidi deceived Mhatre with a slower ball and had him caught at midwicket, and then Dewald Brevis was out leg before. But replays suggested the ball would have missed leg stump.

Down to the last over, Dube swung the game back in Chennai's favor when he belted a six off a waist-high no-ball. But Dayal bowled three perfect yorkers to Dube and Jadeja for Bengaluru to snatch victory.

''He (Dayal) is the main bowler of our team, a death-overs specialist,'' Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar said. ''It was a clear-cut message to give him the last over. Last year as well, he did the same thing for the team and he did it again (tonight).''

Shepherd goes beserk

After half-centuries by Bengaluru openers Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell, they slumped to 159-5 going into the 19th over.

But Romario Shepherd smacked 53 off 14 balls, tied for the second fastest half-century in IPL history, to give Bengaluru a total it could defend.

Kohli, who hit his fourth successive half-century to lead the run-scorers' list, and Bethell grafted a 97-run opening stand but then Chennai spinners Noor Ahmad (1-26) and Jadeja (0-26) squeezed the run-rate.

Chennai looked to contain Bengaluru until Shepherd shredded Khaleel Ahmed in the 19th over and Matheesha Pathirana in the 20th.

Shepherd struck four sixes and two boundaries in Ahmed's over, which went for 33 runs. The left-arm fast bowler finished with an expensive 0-65 off his three overs.

Shepherd then hit Pathirana for two fours and raised his electrifying half-century by lofting the Sri Lankan fast bowler for successive sixes off the last two balls.

''Shepherd in the death overs was excellent," Dhoni said. ''Whatever we were bowling, he was able to hit it for maximum runs. We need to practice more yorkers.''

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