In a gripping encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) clinched a crucial victory over the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by four wickets in the Eliminator of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. This victory propels the Royals to Qualifier 2, where they are set to face off against the formidable Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Chennai.
The day began with RR winning the toss and opting to field, a decision that seemed astute as their bowlers executed brilliant plans to contain RCB’s innings. While RCB seemed poised for a substantial total, reaching promising starts on numerous occasions, they failed to build a lasting momentum due, in large part, to the disciplined and strategic bowling from Rajasthan. Each time the Bangalore-based team seemed to regain control, RR pegged them back with timely wickets.
Trent Boult, showing his class with the new ball, delivered an exceptional opening spell. He conceded a mere six runs over three overs and claimed the pivotal wicket of RCB’s captain, Faf du Plessis, who departed for a modest 17 runs. At the other end, Sandeep Sharma’s second over leaked 12 runs, signaling a temporary relief for RCB. However, Avesh Khan’s fourth over welcomed Virat Kohli with a sumptuous pull shot for six, showcasing Kohli’s intent.
Unfortunately for RCB, the attacking mindset was short-lived. Boult’s brilliance struck again in the fifth over as he dismissed du Plessis, caught spectacularly in the deep by Rovman Powell, diving forward to grab the ball. This dismissal brought Cameron Green to the crease at No. 3, ahead of Rajat Patidar, and saw RCB compiling a decent 50/1 at the close of the powerplay.
Yuzvendra Chahal was introduced into the attack in the eighth over, and Kohli, striving for acceleration, perished attempting a big shot to mid-wicket, departing for 33. This was a substantial breakthrough for Rajasthan. During the subsequent overs, a competitive battle emerged. While Green made his presence felt against Chahal, Patidar was more circumspect in finding his rhythm.
In the middle overs, Ravichandran Ashwin’s spell was crucial, bottling up one end and ensuring the run rate didn’t skyrocket. His pressure prompted the RCB batsmen to pursue unnecessary risks, resulting in wickets. Patidar found himself living a charmed life with a drop at long-on, but soon the pressure told.
. Green (27 off 21) played into their hands, chipping a catch to cover, while Maxwell followed suit, succumbing at long-on for RCB to stall at 97/4 by the 13th over.
Patidar attempted to rally with two sixes following Green’s departure, but Avesh Khan’s continuation of impressive bowling saw him dismissed for 34 at mid-off in the 15th over. This brought Dinesh Karthik to the crease, whose initial leg-before wicket dismissal was reversed by the third umpire upon review.
As the innings neared its conclusion, Mahipal Lomror turned aggressor, facing just 17 balls for a brisk 32 and pushing Bangalore’s aggregate beyond 160 in the slog overs. Swapnil Singh and Karn Sharma added further momentum with crucial boundaries in the final over, guiding RCB to a respectable 172.
The run chase for RR began with the initial blows from RCB’s bowlers, keeping RR batters in check in the initial two overs. Yashaswi Jaiswal, however, shattered the calm in the third over, plundering Yash Dayal for four boundaries — one of which escaped a near-successful attempt at first slip. The opening stand added 46. RCB’s Ferguson, with an adept slower ball, claimed Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s wicket at 20 in the fifth over.
As both Sanju Samson and Jaiswal aimed to maintain momentum, Jaiswal, having entered the 40s, looked to cleverly scoop but edged it through for 33. Samson, showing aggression, was stumped off a Karn wide after heading down the track, contributing 17.
Riyan Parag assumed command of the chase, calming nerves after Dhruv Jurel’s brilliant run-out by Kohli. Alongside Impact Player Shimron Hetmyer, Parag orchestrated their attack with precision. With five overs left, they required 48 runs. Hetmyer and Parag unleashed their aggression — Hetmyer smashed Green for a giant six over long-on, while Parag smartly lofted over cover and sliced a four through third-man, shifting momentum definitively toward a RR victory.
Although Siraj briefly returned RCB into contention by dismissing both Parag (36 off 26) and Hetmyer (26 off 14), the desired run-rate had already significantly diminished. With the equation reduced to a simple run-a-ball, Rovman Powell firmly took control. He demonstrated clean striking with two fours and a six, sealing the victory elegantly in the penultimate over.
The win sets up an engaging clash in Chennai, where Rajasthan Royals will strive to overcome Kolkata Knight Riders and ensure their spot in the grand finale of TATA IPL 2024.