A brilliant all-round performance helped Rajasthan Royals (RR) secure a decisive victory by four wickets against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Eliminator of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This win ensures RR’s progression to Qualifier 2, where they will be facing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Chennai.
The evening began with RR winning the toss and opting to bowl. RCB’s innings appeared poised for a significant total as multiple batsmen got off to promising starts, but none converted these into substantial scores. Each time RCB looked set to accelerate, RR’s bowlers stepped in to break their momentum with timely wickets.
Trent Boult spearheaded the bowling attack with a phenomenal spell using the new ball, conceding only six runs across his three overs while capturing the crucial wicket of Faf du Plessis for 17 runs. On the flip side, Sandeep Sharma was not as economical, giving away 12 runs in his first over.
The action intensified when Avesh Khan was introduced in the fourth over, and Virat Kohli greeted him with a six through a pull shot. Boult soon struck again, dismissing du Plessis in the fifth over. The South African tried to hit over mid-wicket but was caught by Rovman Powell diving forward at deep mid-wicket.
Cameron Green, batting at No. 3 ahead of Rajat Patidar, took RCB to 50 for one at the end of the powerplay. However, Yuzvendra Chahal, brought into the attack in the eighth over, made an immediate impact. Attempting to increase the run rate, Kohli holed out to mid-wicket for 33, giving RR a critical breakthrough.
From there, the match witnessed a fluctuating battle. Green took on Chahal, though Patidar took his time to get his eye in. At the other end, R Ashwin bowled a key spell in the middle overs, containing the flow of runs and adding pressure. This pressure led to the RCB batsmen taking undue risks. Patidar was lucky to survive when he was dropped at long-on, but Green (27 off 21 balls) soon fell, caught at cover by Powell. This was immediately followed by Glenn Maxwell hitting one straight to long-on.
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With RCB at 97 for four in 13 overs, Patidar tried to revive the innings, hitting two sixes in quick succession. But Avesh Khan intervened, making Patidar hole out to mid-off for 34 in the 15th over. Dinesh Karthik came out to bat and promptly faced a leg-before appeal, which was overturned on review.
In the slog overs, Mahipal Lomror’s aggressive approach was pivotal, amassing 32 runs off 17 balls and pushing RCB past 160. Contributions from Swapnil Singh and Karn Sharma in the final over propelled RCB to a total of 172.
RR’s chase began cautiously as the RCB bowlers kept the batsmen quiet at the start. Yashasvi Jaiswal broke the shackles in the third over, managing to squeeze four fours off Yash Dayal, with one being a dropped catch at first slip. The openers put on 46 runs before Lockie Ferguson bowled Tom Kohler-Cadmore for 20 with a slower delivery.
Sanju Samson and Jaiswal kept the pace, finding boundaries to keep the required rate in check. Jaiswal edged closer to his 50 but was dismissed for attempting a scoop, caught behind off Green’s bowling. Samson followed soon after, stumped off a wide delivery from Karn for 17.
With the onus on Riyan Parag, RR’s task was still manageable despite Dhruv Jurel’s brilliant run-out by a direct throw from Kohli. Parag, along with Shimron Hetmyer, the designated Impact Player, led a calculated assault on the bowlers.
Needing 48 runs off the last five overs, Hetmyer struck a crucial six off the first ball from Green. Parag followed suit with a six over cover and a four through third-man, shifting the game firmly in RR’s favor. Hetmyer’s return to form proved vital for RR. Despite Siraj dismissing both Parag (36 off 26) and Hetmyer (26 off 14), the equation boiled down to a run-a-ball scenario. Rovman Powell ensured there were no further hiccups, securing the win with two fours and a six in the penultimate over.
The Rajasthan Royals now prepare to face Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai for Qualifier 2, with hopes of inching closer to the coveted IPL trophy.