RCB master the margins in Chinnaswamy-CSK sequel

It was an eerie echo of a year ago. The same breathless wait in the stands. The same bowler in red at the top of his mark. The same two giants of Indian cricket in yellow. A strikingly similar equation - 17 to get on May 18, 2024; 15 on May 3, 2025. And the same result.

For the second year in a row, Yash Dayal's story began with MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, and ended with him sprinting into the night, arms aloft, waiting for the world to catch up with him.

Last year, Dayal didn't know until very late that he would be trusted with the final over. This year, he was the designated closer, the man asked to handle the heat in the kitchen. And he took ice with him.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru were excellent in the moment of stress. There were no frantic field changes, no desperate conferences. Their senior players didn't rush to cocoon their death bowler with plans or panic. Instead, they let him own the moment, just as he had, 12 months ago.

The only visible gesture of support came from Tim David, jogging in from long-on after every ball. A low-five. A nod. And back he went. Over and over. As if to say: We trust you. Now finish it.