The Rajasthan Royals (RR) clinched a dramatic victory by four wickets over the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the highly competitive Eliminator of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The high-stakes match unfolded under the bright lights at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, leading to celebrations as the Royals secured their path to Qualifier 2. In this next phase, they are set to face off against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Chennai, promising another thrilling contest.
From the onset, Rajasthan Royals seemed strategically prepared as they won the toss and made the smart decision to field first. This choice set the stage for a thrilling contest, with RR’s bowlers stepping up to dismantle RCB’s momentum at critical junctures throughout their innings.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru started their innings with the intent to set a solid foundation. Several batters looked promising, hinting at a substantial total, yet none were able to convert their robust starts into memorable innings. Trent Boult was instrumental in stifling RCB early on with a brilliant new ball spell that conceded a mere six runs in three overs, alongside the crucial wicket of RCB captain Faf du Plessis, who was dismissed for 17. At the opposite end, after Sandeep Sharma initially leaked runs, Avesh Khan was introduced into the attack in the fourth over. Virat Kohli welcomed him with a blistering pull shot for six, yet Boult soon intervened, removing du Plessis in the fifth over thanks to a diving catch by Rovman Powell.
With RCB at 50 for one by the end of the powerplay, Cameron Green entered the fray as the new number three, ahead of Rajat Patidar. However, it was Yuzvendra Chahal who shortly thereafter gave RR a significant advantage by dismissing Kohli for 33, a critical breakthrough as Kohli tried to elevate RCB’s scoring rate.
Despite a period of aggressive play from Cameron Green, attempting to reverse the pressure, and Patidar’s attempt to stabilize the innings, Rajasthan managed to maintain their grip on the game. R Ashwin’s spell in the middle overs was vital, putting pressure on the RCB batsmen and leading them into making risky shots. Green fell for 27, and soon after in the same over, Glenn Maxwell added to RCB’s woes by lofting a straightforward catch to long-on, leaving RCB scrambling by the 13th over at 97 for four.
Rajat Patidar appeared to find his form for a brief moment, launching two sixes in quick succession.
. However, Avesh Khan soon had him caught for 34. The tail-end of the innings saw Mahipal Lomror’s aggressive stint help nudge RCB’s score towards competitiveness, contributing a swift 32 runs off 17 balls to ensure they finished with 172 on the board after a couple of boundary strikes from Swapnil Singh and Karn Sharma in the last over.
As RR set out to chase down 173, the early RCB bowlers seemed to draw aid from the surface, keeping the initial RR batsmen subdued. However, Yashaswi Jaiswal broke free in the third over, smashing Yash Dayal for four consecutive boundaries. Tom Kohler-Cadmore contributed to a swift 46-run opening stand before being sent back by a cunning slower delivery from Lockie Ferguson.
Rajasthan’s innings continued with captain Sanju Samson and the fearless Jaiswal striving to keep the required run-rate in check. Jaiswal pushed his innings into the 40s but was caught behind attempting a scoop off Green. Following Jaiswal’s exit, Samson ventured down the pitch against Karn Sharma, only to be dismissed for 17.
With Rajasthan’s chase momentarily faltering, the responsibility landed on Riyan Parag, who, with calm temperament, steadied the ship. Parag, combining strategically with the explosive Shimron Hetmyer, RTX Player, embarked on a calculated assault on RCB’s bowlers. The equation stood at 48 needed off five overs when Hetmyer launched a massive six on the first ball of Green’s next over. Parag followed suit with consecutive vital high-scoring shots.
Even though Mohammed Siraj returned to claim Parag (36 off 26 balls) and Hetmyer (26 off 14 balls), Rajasthan Royals were well within reach, with the asking rate reduced to manageable run-a-ball conditions. Rovman Powell ensured there were no further mishaps, striking a series of decisive boundaries to conclude the match in the penultimate over, sealing RR’s victory.
Royal fans now turn their attention to Chennai, where RR will meet KKR in Qualifier 2, hoping to continue their thrilling march through IPL 2024.