Chennai, Mar 22: Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik's late brisk partnership of 95-run helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru post 173/6 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after Mustafizur Rahman produced a rampant spell to dismantle RCB's batting order with his irresistible 4-wicket haul in the blockbuster opening clash of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 here at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.

Rawat scored the highest for CSK with 48 runs off 25 while Dinesh Karthik played a crucial knock of 38 off 26 deliveries. Debutant Mustafizur sizzled in Chepauk with his four-wicket haul, claiming wickets of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Rajat Patidar and Cameron Green.

Opted to bat first, openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis gave RCB a solid start as the captain hammered Deepak Chahar and Tushar Deshpande early in the innings.

Chahar became the prey of Du Plessis'in red-hot form in the third over, as the RCB captain smoked CSK bowler for four boundaries, gathering 17 runs.

The visitors finally got the best of Du Plessis as the RCB captain played a shot towards the deep backward point where debutant Rachin Ravindra completed a brilliant catch of Mustafizur Rahman's delivery in the fifth over.

In the same over, Mustafizur struck again as he removed Rajat Patidar. Chahar then joined the wicket-taking party as his length ball delivery sent Glenn Maxwell packing in the 6th over.

Mustafizur's ruthless form continued as he removed well-set batter Kohli (21) and Cameron Green (18) in the 12th over. Dinesh Karthik and Anuj Rawat then joined hands as the duo kept piling runs for RCB, slamming boundaries at regular intervals.

Karthik, playing at his home ground and Rawat, trusted to be RCB's extra-batter in this game, though broke ranks, took the ones and twos and then ruthlessly attacked CSK's pacers towards the end.

Karthik and Rawat then thumped Deshpande for a huge 25 runs with the help of three maximums in the 18th over. Rawat stitched a 95-run stand off 50 deliveries with Karthik at a breakneck pace to guide RCB to 173/6 in 20 overs.

Brief score: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 173/6 (Anuj Rawat 48, Dinesh Karthik 38*; Mustafizur Rahman 4-29) vs Chennai Super Kings. (ANI)

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