Chennai Super Kings smashed 226/6 by batting first and it looked like Royal Challengers Bangalore might struggle to challenge in the chase at first. They made the four-time champions come to the edge but fell short by only eight runs of the target. Captain Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell's sensational third wicket stand put the total well within grasp for the hosts. The pair smashed the ball to all parts of the ground before Maxwell finally fell on 76 off 36 balls. The partnership between him and Du Plessis produced a huge 126 runs in just 61 balls. Du Plessis eventually fell for 62 off 33 but RCB kept going with Dinesh Karthik coming into the party and smacked 28 off 14 balls. Somehow CSK managed to hold their nerve and clinched the victory by 8 runs. Read the match report of RCB vs CSK and share your thoughts in the comments.

Read Also: SRH vs MI: IPL 2023 Match preview, Possible lineups, Pitch report, and Dream XI team prediction

RCB vs CSK: IPL 2023 Match Report

CSK went off to a bright start despite loosing Ruturaj's wicket

RCB won the toss & decided to bowl first. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway opened for CSK, and Mohammed Siraj started the proceedings for RCB in the buzzing Chinnaswamy. Devon Conway who got back his form and confidence in the previous game, started brilliantly against the RCB bowlers. Siraj bowled his first two overs really well and also dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad for only 3 runs. His wicket brought Rahane on the pitch.

Inform Rahane built a partnership with Conway. He started the show in style with some big hits. CSK scored 53 runs after the end of the powerplay. Conway joined the show with Rahane and it looked like CSK declared no flying zone around the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. They smashed sixes for fun. Hasaranga spoiled the party by dismissing Rahane for 37 runs.

Back-to-back half-Centuries for Conway as He got there in 32 balls. CSK got past 100 in 10.4 overs with a huge six from Dube. Dube continued to make the bowls fly as he club the second ball of the 13th over long-on. Dube reached 32 off 17, Conway on 72 off 41. This inning went off into the stratosphere but one has to remember that this is the Chinnaswamy, the batter's paradise.

Moeen Ali and Ambati Raydu finished the inning in style for CSK as they put up a huge total of 226/6

Yorker from hell was the end for Conway in the 16th over—perfect delivery from Harshal Patel, a dipping yorker that made Conway lose his shape completely. The first ball of the 17th and Dube went big and completed the half-century in 25 deliveries. Parnell trapped him in the third delivery and dismissed him for 52 runs. Ambati Raydu played a good cameo of 14 before Vijay Kumar sent him home. Moeen Ali scored 19* in 9 to end the 20 overs by putting up a massive total of 226 runs.

Read Also: LSG vs CSK on May 4 will now be played on May 3 at 3:30 pm due to elections in Lucknow

RCB vs CSK: Match Report

Faf Du Plessis & Glenn Maxwell destroyed the opposition bowlers despite loosing two early wickets

Akash Singh gave the early breakthrough with a huge wicket of Virat Kohli in the very first over. Theekshana drooped the catch of Lomror in the last delivery of the over. Although he was sent back home in the next over by Tushar Deshpande for a duck. It looked like it is over for them but Faf and Maxwell had planned something else for CSK.

The partnership between him and Du Plessis produced a huge 126 runs in just 61 balls. Captain Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell's sensational third wicket stand put the total well within grasp for the hosts. They only believed in big hits and they did it in style. The bowl was just not sticking to the ground.

RCB came so close but CSK stood tall as they clinched the victory in a high-scoring thriller

They made the four-time champions struggle by slaughtering every bowler. Maxwell finally fell on 76 off 36 balls as Theekshana redeemed himself. Du Plessis eventually fell for 62 off 33 but RCB kept going with Dinesh Karthik coming onto the crease. He was playing his best cricket but an immature decision caused his wicket after scoring 28 runs. Impact player Prabhudessai almost completed the chase but Pathirana's last over was so good that RCB fell short by 8 runs.

Abhimanyu Easwaran was named the captain of the India A team for the tour of England as the BCCI announced the India A squad for the upcoming tour starting from 30th May 2025. 

India A will play two first-class matches against the England Lions at Canterbury and Northampton. Then they will play a practice match against the senior Indian team to prepare them for the big series against England. 

Karun Nair was rewarded for his excellent domestic form as he made a return to the India A side. His performance for the A side might decide whether he will be given a chance for the senior team or not.

Abishek Porel, who was named in the last India A's tour to Australia, has been replaced by Ishan Kishan in the side.

Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who will be busy in the Indian Premier League for the Gujarat Titans, will join the squad from the second match. 

India A squad for the England tour

India A squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (VC) (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey

India A' schedule for the England tour

Cricket has always been a bridge across cultures, a phenomenon that connects players with fans from all around the world. Situations often force people to migrate from one country to the other. There have been instances when cricketers were born in different nations but ultimately played for a different country.

Let's take a look at the cricket facts of cricketers who didn't play for their country.

Also Read: "Wear whites for Virat": RCB fans in Bengaluru to wear white for Virat Kohli Test tribute

Cricket Facts | Cricketers who didn't play for their country

5. Glenn Phillips (South Africa-born)

New Zealand cricket all-rounder Glenn Philips moved from East London, South Africa to New Zealand at the age of five. He pursued his education in New Zealand, where he began his cricket journey. Having made his domestic debut with Auckland, he signed with Otago to play alongside his brother, Dale Phillips, in 2022. Interestingly, he made his international debut against South Africa, the country where he was born.

4. Ish Sodhi (India-born)

Inderbir Singh 'Ish' Sodhi was born in Ludhiana, India, on October 31, 1992, and spent his early years in New Zealand. He made his New Zealand debut as a leg-spinner in 2013, and since then, he has been a reliable performer in limited-overs forms, contributing significantly to the country's T20 World Cup campaigns.

3. Devon Conway (South Africa-born)

After playing for Gauteng and the Highveld Lions, Devon Conway moved to New Zealand in 2017 and made an immediate impact. He was the leading run-scorer in both the 2018-19 Plunket Shield (659) and 2018-19 Super Smash (363). Conway became eligible to play for New Zealand in August 2020 and has since become a key player for them across all formats. He averages 36.72 after 27 Tests and has also made 36 ODI and 50 T20I appearances.

2. Marnus Labuschagne (South Africa-born)

Marnus Labuschagne was born in Klerksdorp, in South Africa. His family moved to Australia when he was 10. Labuschagne made his Australia debut in Tests in 2018, after Steve Smith suffered an injury during the Ashes tour. Since then the prolific batter has emulated the batting prowess of his best friend and has not looked back. 

Speaking of his impressive international cricket career for Australia, Marnus Labuschagne has played 57 Tests, scoring 4396 runs with 11 centuries, and played 63 ODIs, scoring 1869 runs with two centuries. He has also played one T20I match.

Also Read: Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

1. Ben Stokes (New Zealand-born)

Ben Stokes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in June 1991. His family moved to Cumbria when Stokes was 12 years old after his father was appointed head coach at Workington Town Rugby League Club.

Stokes has played for England in all three formats. Stokes is regarded as one of England's greatest all-rounders in the history of the sport. In domestic cricket, he represents Durham and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues around the world. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup.

The excitement of IPL 2025 is set to begin once again on May 17. However, the availability of foreign players has been a major challenge for many teams after the one-week postponement.

Many foreign players have returned to India for the remaining matches of IPL, but some have completely refused to come this season. One of them is the name of Australian legend Mitchell Starc. Starc was part of the Delhi Capitals team in IPL 2025.

Also Read: KKR Redefines Matchday Atmosphere with Unmatched Tifo Displays during IPL 2025

Starc returned due to India-Pakistan tension

However, Mitchell Starc returned to Australia due to tensions between India and Pakistan. Starc was also involved in the match when there was a sudden blackout in the match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala.

Many foreign players who played in this match were in shock, but now the situation has become normal and the tournament is starting again. In such a situation, there are many foreign players who have returned.

There is talk of imposing a penalty on Starc

Mitchell Starc was an important player for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, but Starc may be in trouble due to his non-return in the remaining matches. Starc was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 11.75 crore in the mega auction.

In such a situation, it is believed that the Delhi Capitals team can deduct the auction fee if he does not return for the remaining matches of the season, for which the Australian bowler is also said to be ready.

According to the report, Mitchell Starc may face a penalty of 400000 Australian dollars i.e. Rs 3.92 crore if he does not return to IPL 2025. This amount will be deducted from his auction fee.

Also Read: IPL 2025: Here are the overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament

Starc's performance in IPL 2025

Talking about Starc's performance in IPL 2025, he has taken 14 wickets in 11 matches for Delhi Capitals at an economy rate of 10.16. Starc bowled very economically this season. So, his return could prove to be a big loss for Delhi Capitals as the team is in dire need of wins to make it to the top four of the tournament. 

Delhi Capitals are currently fifth on the IPL 2025 Points Table and are among the four contenders for the playoffs’ spot. They have three matches remaining, and a win in at least two of them will take them closer to the qualification. Winning all three, will guarantee a top four finish.

RCB fans in Bengaluru to wear white for Virat Kohli Test tribute? Yes! Fans are planning a special "wear white" initiative and asking the crowd to show up in whites for the upcoming RCB vs KKR match at Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 17, 2025.

As the IPL is set to resume tomorrow, and we will witness Virat Kohli play his first match after his announcement of test retirement, fans are organising a heartfelt tribute for the King!

The viral spread of white wave

A fan-driven moment is going viral recently where they call the crowd to wear white for a collective tribute to Virat Kohli after his test retirement.

Whether you have a test jersey or not, all they ask for is wearing anything white instead of the jerseys of IPL franchises.

Discussions on Reddit

The white tribute takes shape on reddit as fans try to reach out as much as possible.

Fans pledge to wear white in Instagram comments

Fans leave heartfelt messages on comments section of official Royal Challengers Bengaluru Instagram page.

Hashtags like #WearWhiteForVirat, #KohliTestTribute, and #KohliTestFarewell are the ones people are using to make this a trend before the upcoming IPL 2025 match.

Content Creators spreading the word

Many content creators have joined hands to support this initiative and they are getting huge responses.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cricket Machas (@cricketmachas)

Harsha Bhogle reacts on Twitter 

Hey @RCBTweets fans, are you planning to turn up in white for the game on the 17th? Remember seeing a post suggesting that. It will be incredible and a sight for the ages if true and if you can pull it off.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 15, 2025

The comments section in response to the initiative is getting flooded with comments like "Count me in," and "Wearing white with pride!" 

Many are tagging their acquaintance with messages like "@[friends username] Let's do it!"

Will you show up on May 17 at Chinnaswamy Stadium in whites too?

As IPL 2025 faced disruptions and was suspended on 9th May, 2025, most of the overseas players returned back to their respective home countries.

The tournament is set to resume from 17th May, 2025, and it raises a crucial question about how many overseas players can rejoin their franchises.

Given their international commitments and other issues, check out the overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament in IPL 2025 for each team.

IPL 2025 Points Table

Firstly, see where each team stands before the tournament resumes.

Read Also: Top 5 underrated players in IPL 2025

Overseas players return status for the remainder of IPL 2025