Chennai finally loses to Bengaluru at home after 17 years in IPL

CHENNAI, India (AP) — Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended their 17-year drought against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk in the Indian Premier League after a resounding 50-run victory on Friday.

Captain Rajat Patidar’s 51 led Bengaluru to 196-7 despite Afghan left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad claiming the key wicket of Phil Salt in the powerplay and Virat Kohli’s in the middle overs. Kohli struggled to 31 off 30 balls.

A revamped Bengaluru pace attack comprising of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood clipped Chennai in the first six overs and the home team limped to 146-8.

Bengaluru, which has never won the IPL, has got off to a perfect start with two big away wins against defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders and five-time champion Chennai.

Hazlewood struck twice in his first over, getting Rahul Tripathi and Chennai captain Ruturaj Gaikwad caught off mistimed pull shots, followed by dismissing Ravindra Jadeja with another short ball.

“It was game-changing (the powerplay) because we got three wickets in the first six overs,” Patidar said. “Amazing to see how they kept it on the hard length because the ball wasn’t coming on to the bat easily.”

Kumar found Deepak Hooda’s faint outside edge and Yash Dayal put Chennai on the mat at 80-6 in the 13th over with the wickets of Shivam Dube and top-scorer Rachin Ravindra (41).

Dube tried to cut Dayal only to inside edge onto his stumps on 19, and then clean-bowled Ravindra with a yorker.

Chennai veterans Mahendra Singh Dhoni (30 not out) and Jadeja (25) reduced the size of their first loss to Bengaluru since the inaugural 2008 IPL season as they were squeezed by the visiting bowlers.

“Bad fielding cost us,” Gaikwad said. “When you’re chasing 170, you have a little more time, but when you’re chasing 20 runs extra you have to bat differently in the powerplay and it didn’t happen today.”

Kohli took the back seat in the powerplay as Salt smacked five fours and a six and blazed 32 off 16 balls before he fell to Dhoni’s brilliant reflex stumping off Ahmad.

Devdutt Padikkal kept the scoreboard ticking at over nine an over with a breezy 27 off 14.

But Chennai wasted at least three opportunities to dismiss Patidar, and Kohli’s scratchy innings ended when he couldn’t clear Ravindra at deep midwicket.

Patidar hit three sixes and four boundaries before Matheesha Pathirana struck twice in the penultimate over which cost Chennai just one run from a wide ball. Pathirana had Patidar finally caught at cover off a full delivery.

Tim David gave Bengaluru a blazing finish when he smashed three consecutive sixes in Sam Curran’s last over and finished with 22 off eight balls.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Yash Dayal celebrates the dismissal of Chennai Super Kings' Shivam Dube, right, during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Josh Hazlewood, left, celebrates the dismissal of Chennai Super Kings' captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, right, during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Phil Salt plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Liam Livingstone bold by Chennai Super Kings' Noor Ahmad during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

Chennai Super Kings' Khaleel Ahmed celebrates the dismissal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Jitesh Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

Chennai Super Kings' Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed celebrate the dismissal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli, center, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of Chennai Super Kings' Deepak Hooda during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's captain Rajat Patidar plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Josh Hazlewood, right, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Chennai Super Kings' Rahul Tripathi, left, during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s former Chief Justice David Maraga said he was arrested Monday alongside other activists protesting planned construction inside Nairobi National Park.

Police fired tear gas canisters at the protesters who were marching outside the park while carrying banners with messages denouncing land grabs.

Maraga was detained and later released while staging a sit-in on a major road outside the national park’s main gate. He was wearing a green T-shirt similar to those worn by other activists.

The police have yet to comment on the reason for his arrest.

Maraga wrote on X that he was arrested while heading to present a petition to the Kenya Wildlife Service.

“Our national heritage and environment must be safeguarded from greed and unnecessary destruction without public participation,” he said.

Hundreds of activists joined the protest against the planned construction inside the park and the relocation of an orphanage, calling it an attempt to grab public land.

Kenya has experienced incidents of land grabbing in the past, and environmentalists have often spoken out when parks and other green spaces are encroached upon.

Amnesty International in Kenya expressed solidarity with the protesters and called for members of the public to be included in decisions affecting the country’s environmental heritage.

“We want to categorically state that Nairobi National Park is not for sale; our public spaces, our environment, and our rights cannot be traded away behind closed doors,” the rights group said.

The Kenya Wildlife Service on Sunday defended the construction as part of a plan to expand the orphanage and improve the visitor experience, effectively dismissing claims of land grabbing.

Kenya Wildlife Service security personnel stand at the entrance to Nairobi National Park during a protest over plans affecting the park in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Plainclothes police officers arrest protesters during a demonstration against plans they say would affect wildlife habitat in Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Protesters carry placards during a demonstration against plans they say would affect wildlife habitat in Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Protesters flee as anti-riot police launch tear gas during a protest over plans affecting Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Kenya's former chief justice and presidential contender David Maraga, center, is shielded by protesters in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, June 8, 2026, during a protest over plans affecting Nairobi National Park. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)