|| CF DESK ||

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets in the Indian (Premier League) opener at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai.

Mustafizur shone with the bowl in the very first match of the new season, claiming a four-for conceding 29 runs in his three overs which helped Chennai to restrict RCB to 176-4.

Jadeja and Dube's match-winning fifty partnership, along with smart shot selection from Dube, helped Chennai cruise to an easy win with 8 balls to spare.

New CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and opening partner Rachin Ravindra gave the home side a strong start while chasing 174 against RCB.

Gaikwad fell for 15, but Ravindra and Rahane continued the momentum. CSK scored 62 runs in the powerplay, with Ravindra making 37 off 15 balls and Rahane 27 off 19 before being dismissed by a stunning catch from Glenn Maxwell.

Shivam Dube then joined Daryl Mitchell as CSK's Impact Player. ?But Mitchell could only manage to play a brief innings of 22 runs.  

Earlier, RCB scored 173-6 after opting to bat. Skipper Faf du Plessis (35) got his team off the blocks before the visitors collapsed to 78 for five.

Anuj Rawat (48) and Dinesh Karthik (38) shared a 95-run stand off 50 balls for the sixth wicket to give some respectability to the total.