In a captivating encounter that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, Rajasthan Royals (RR) emerged victorious by four wickets against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Eliminator match of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This triumph secures Rajasthan Royals’ advancement to Qualifier 2, setting up a showdown against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Chennai.
The day began with Rajasthan winning the toss and electing to bowl first, a decision that would eventually pay dividends. RCB’s innings was characterized by numerous starts from their batsmen, but a failure to convert those into substantial scores allowed RR’s bowlers to consistently disrupt their flow.
Trent Boult set the tone early with an exceptional opening spell, conceding only six runs over his three overs and removing the dangerous Faf du Plessis for 17. At the other end, the flow of runs initially appeared continuous, with Sandeep Sharma conceding 12 runs in his first over. When Avesh Khan was introduced in the fourth over, he was greeted by an ominous pull shot for six by Virat Kohli, indicating RCB’s aggressive intent.
However, Boult struck again in the fifth over, dismissing du Plessis as he attempted to clear mid-wicket, with Rovman Powell executing a well-timed diving catch. This wicket slowed RCB momentarily, but they recovered quickly, closing the powerplay at a respectable 50 for one. Virat Kohli and Cameron Green looked to build a formidable partnership, only for Yuzvendra Chahal to break through and claim Kohli’s wicket for 33, attempting an ambitious shot to accelerate the scoring.
As the middle overs unfolded, R Ashwin’s disciplined bowling performance kept RCB’s run-rate in check. His efforts had a ripple effect, forcing RCB’s batsmen to take undue risks. One such risk saw Rajat Patidar dropped at long-on, surviving a narrow escape. However, the reprieve was short-lived as Green, after a brief flourish, succumbed to Powell’s sharp fielding and was dismissed for 27 off 21 balls. The next delivery saw Glenn Maxwell’s ambitious shot find its way to the long-on fielder, leaving RCB at a precarious 97 for four in the 13th over.
Patidar then found his rhythm, smashing two sixes in quick succession. Unfortunately, his resurgence was curtailed by Avesh Khan, who had Patidar caught at mid-off for 34 in the 15th over.
. Dinesh Karthik, the new man in, survived a contentious leg-before decision thanks to a third-umpire intervention.
With the innings nearing its conclusion, Mahipal Lomror’s aggressive batting gave RCB the much-needed impetus, scoring 32 off just 17 balls. Some late hitting by Swapnil Singh and Karn Sharma pushed the total to a respectable 172 as the innings wrapped up.
The RR run-chase started cautiously, with RCB bowlers managing to stifle the initial scoring rate. But Yashaswi Jaiswal soon broke free, targeting Yash Dayal for four boundaries in one over, one of which resulted from a dropped chance. This aggressive start saw the openers putting up 46 runs until Tom Kohler-Cadmore was bowled by a cleverly disguised slower ball from Lockie Ferguson for 20.
Sanju Samson joined Jaiswal and looked to maintain the momentum. Jaiswal, approaching his half-century, was caught trying to scoop Green, and soon after, Samson was stumped off Karn’s wide for 17. This left Riyan Parag to steer the chase alongside Shimron Hetmyer, the Impact Player.
Despite a moment of brilliance from Virat Kohli, who ran out Dhruv Jurel, Parag and Hetmyer kept their cool. They launched a calculated assault on the RCB bowlers, with Hetmyer hitting a crucial six off the first ball of Green’s over and Parag adding to the pressure with another maximum and a four through third-man.
With five overs remaining, the required rate was well within control for RR. Hetmyer’s experience came to the fore, absorbing the pressure despite being dismissed for 26 off 14 by Mohammed Siraj. Parag too fell after an invaluable 36 off 26 balls, but by then, the match was all but sealed.
Rovman Powell ensured there were no further hiccups, finishing the game in style with two boundaries and a six, leading RR to a thrilling victory with an over to spare.
Now, all eyes turn to Chennai, where Rajasthan Royals will face Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2, with a place in the grand final at stake. The anticipation is building, and this IPL season promises more nail-biting action as it progresses.