Chennai Super Kings clinched a thriller to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by five wickets in a last-ball finish in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Thursday.Royal Challengers, who set Chennai Super Kings a stiff target of 206, were patchy with the ball and went down by five wickets in a thrilling encounter. Despite their below-par show with the ball, RCB were still the fancied side to win the contest with two overs to go and Chennai needing 43 to win. Morkel, however, had other ideas. The left-hander came to the middle and smashed 28 runs – the sequence read 4, 6, 4, 6, 2, 6 -- off the penultimate over from Virat Kohli to take the hosts within sniffing distance of the target.

With Morkel losing his wicket in the second ball of the final over off R Vinay Kumar, the balance appeared to have shifted towards RCB. But Dwyane Bravo (25 n.o., 15b, 2x4, 1x6) scored 12 runs of next three balls with the help of a four (plus no ball), a six and a single. Jadeja took strike for the first time in the match with two needed off the final delivery. The left-hander, who was bought for a massive $2 million by in the auction, edged the ball down to an unguarded third man to set the stadium alight.

Opting to bat first, Royal Challengers were off to a great start with the 53-run stand between Aggarwal and Gayle. Gayle, who remained a spectator when Aggarwal was batting, turned on the heat in the ninth over hitting Raina for three sixes as 21 runs came off from the off-spinner’s first over. Gayle struck six sixes and two fours in his 35-ball knock.

Gayle and Kohli then joined forces for their 109-run stand in 66 balls for the second wicket that took Royals Challengers to commanding position. The visitors lost five wickets in last seven balls. Australian fast bowler Doug Bollinger, who finished with three for 24, got three wickets and effected a run out in the last over but Vinay Kumar hit a six off the last ball to take Royal Challengers past the 200-run mark.