CSK beat RCB by 5 wickets to claim top spot in IPL Table

Bengaluru, April 26 (Cricketnmore) Mahendra Singh Dhoni (70 not out off 34 deliveries) and Ambati Rayudu's 53-ball 83 helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) register a thumping five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) here on Wednesday to return to the

MS Dhoni ()

Such was the dominance from the former Proteas skipper that the hosts raced to 87/1 midway into the innings, with both de Villiers and de Kock nearing their respective fifties.

Despite being overshadowed by his senior partner, the southpaw brought up his half century in style, tonking Shane Watson for a six over deep mid-wicket.

On the first ball of the very next over, de Villiers, who had earlier clobbered leg-spinner Imran Tahir for two massive sixes, took Thakur to the cleaners thrice consecutively to bring up his half century.

With both the RCB batsmen going hammer and tongs, CSK skipper Dhoni threw the ball to his West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, and he responded in style by packing back de Kock with a smart catch off his

own follow through.

Tahir then joined the party by bagging the prized scalp of de Villiers and new man Corey Anderson (2) in the very next over to restore parity into the match.

De Villiers miscued Tahir's tossed-up delivery pitched outside off-stump for Sam Billings to complete the formalities at deep cover.

Tahir immediately got rid of New Zealand's Anderson with a googly as Harbhajan Singh completed a brilliant catch at slip.

With the hosts comfortably placed at 142/4, Mandeep Singh (32 off 17; 4x1, 6x3) and Colin de Grandhomme (11) struck a few lusty blows towards the end, even as two run-outs and a wicket in the final over could not stop RCB from crossing the 200-run mark.

During the chase, Chennai were off to a shaky start, losing opener Shane Watson (7), who was trying to clear the mid-on boundary, in the very first over. Incoming batter Suresh Raina then shared a 42-run partnership with Rayudu, helping CSK touch the 50-run mark. While trying to flick a Umesh Yadav ball, Raina (11) was caught at backward point by Mandeep Singh.