IPL 2019: Virat Kohli's RCB create unwanted record after embarrassing defeat to CSK

The 2019 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) began on Saturday with reigning champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) thrashing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by seven wickets at the MA Chidambaram stadium.

For MS Dhoni, he could not have expected a better start as his team aims for a record fourth IPL title. As for Virat Kohli's RCB, it was an evening to forget with his batting unit crumbling on a turning pitch.

The visitors, batting first, were bowled out for a mere 70, which was their second-joint lowest ever total since the inception of the tournament. 

While defeat would have been very bitter for the Bangalore unit to swallow, the very fact they entered record books of the IPL for the wrong reasons added to the misery.

Following their failure to even cross the 100-run mark, RCB became the first team in IPL's history to have been bowled out for under 100 on two occasions in the first match of a season. Prior to this, in the inaugural season, ie 2008, they were bowled out for a mere 82 against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Kohli and his team were all over the park against the reigning champions, as they succumbed to a heavy defeat. 

Batting first, RCB were bowled out for a mere 70, with 17 balls to spare in the first innings of this edition. It was a complete mayhem at the Chepauk stadium, with CSK slow bowlers spinning their web around the RCB batters, who failed to judge the condition and lost their wickets in a cheap fashion.

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Harbhajan Singh started Kohli and his team's downfall, dismissing the opposition skipper and the top order on his way to take 3 for 20 in his four overs. He got support from Imran Tahir, who finished with an astonishing 3 for 9 in his quota of overs. Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets, while Dwayne Bravo finished the innings with a wicket in his very first ball.

Chasing a paltry 71, CSK saw their opener Shane Watson get dismissed for a duck. Runs were hard to come by even for the hosts, but Ambati Rayudu held the ship steady, and alog with Suresh Raina first, and then Kedar Jadhav, took the team to a comfortable victory.