In a thrilling contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Rajasthan Royals (RR) secured a vital victory by four wickets against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Eliminator match of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. This win propels RR into Qualifier 2, where they will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Chennai.
RR captain Sanju Samson won the crucial toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that was validated by their bowlers’ performance. RCB’s innings seemed to promise a significant total as multiple batters managed to get decent starts. However, none could anchor the innings long enough to post a commanding score, largely due to RR’s disciplined bowling attack that kept pricking holes in their batting lineup.
Trent Boult’s early spell was a masterclass in restrained fierce bowling. He gave away just six runs in his first three overs while also claiming the wicket of Faf du Plessis, who was dismissed for 17. This initial breakthrough set the tone for RR’s bowling unit.
On the other hand, RCB momentarily found some momentum with Sandeep Sharma leaking 12 runs in his second over. Avesh Khan was introduced into the attack in the fourth over, only to be harshly welcomed by Virat Kohli who sent the ball flying for a six off a pull shot. However, the pendulum of fortune swung back to RR when Boult removed du Plessis in the fifth over with a fantastic delivery aimed over mid-wicket, caught brilliantly by Rovman Powell diving forward in the deep.
RCB decided to promote Cameron Green to the number three position, foregoing the services of Rajat Patidar initially. They wrapped up their powerplay fairly aggressively, reaching 50 for one. But it was the eighth over when the dynamics significantly shifted. Yuzvendra Chahal bowled a deceiving delivery which induced a false shot from Kohli, sending the RCB captain back to the pavilion for 33. This was the breakthrough RR urgently needed.
Green, showing promise with the bat, began attacking Chahal, while Patidar took his time to settle in. Ashwin, showcasing his experience, kept a check on the runs from the other end, creating mounting pressure on RCB’s batsmen.
. This pressure paid off eventually; Patidar, having been given a reprieve in the field earlier, watched as Green attempted an ill-fated shot that ended up in Powell’s safe hands at cover. This happened in the 13th over, and off the very next delivery, Glenn Maxwell, attempting to push the total further, was caught at long-on.
RCB found themselves wobbling at 97 for four in 13 overs. Patidar, who momentarily regained form, hit two colossal sixes in quick succession but soon fell victim to Avesh Khan, holing out to mid-off for a crucial 34 in the 15th over. Dinesh Karthik’s arrival was no panacea as he also faced immediate pressure with a vociferous appeal for leg-before, only to be saved by a third-umpire decision.
Mahipal Lomror emerged as RCB’s saving grace in the death overs, unleashing an aggression-imbued 32 off 17 balls, ensuring RCB nudged past 160. Swapnil Singh and Karn Sharma contributed with late flurries, helping RCB post a total of 172.
RR’s chase began cautiously with RCB bowlers exerting control over the first two overs. Yet, Yashaswi Jaiswal relieved the pressure, capitalizing on Yash Dayal’s errors, bringing the crowd to life with four boundaries in the third over. This assaulted opener momentum lasted until Tom Kohler-Cadmore was bowled by a deceptive slower ball from Lockie Ferguson for 20 in the fifth over.
Samson and Jaiswal maintained the run rate, working around the field and picking boundaries. Jaiswal’s valiant effort saw him moving into the 40s, but his attempt to scoop Green resulted in a faint edge caught by the wicketkeeper. Following him, Samson, attempting to shift gears, was stumped off Karn’s clever wide delivery for 17.
The onus fell on Riyan Parag and Impact Player Shimron Hetmyer to shepherd the chase. Despite a brief tremor when Dhruv Jurel was run out, Parag’s calm demeanor and Hetmyer’s experience in pressure situations kept RR in the hunt. With a run-a-ball equation, Hetmyer’s dismissal for 26 off 14 and Parag’s for 36 off 26 didn’t deter RR’s march to victory, as Rovman Powell finished off the chase emphatically with two fours and a six, sealing it in the penultimate over.
With this victory, RR moves forward to Chennai for the much-anticipated Qualifier 2 against KKR.