In a pulsating TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Eliminator, Rajasthan Royals (RR) emerged victorious by four wickets against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This crucial win catapults RR into Qualifier 2, where they will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Chennai.
Choosing to bowl first after winning the toss, RR put RCB under constant pressure. RCB’s batting lineup showed initial promise with multiple batsmen getting good starts, yet none were able to convert those into significant scores. Every time RCB seemed to be building momentum, RR’s bowlers struck timely blows to peg them back.
Trent Boult set the tone with a fantastic spell with the new ball, conceding just six runs in his three overs and taking the key wicket of Faf du Plessis, who was dismissed for 17. At the other end, however, Sandeep Sharma did face some resistance, giving away 12 runs in the second over. Avesh Khan entered the attack in the fourth over and was greeted with a six by Virat Kohli. Boult struck in the fifth over, with du Plessis falling to a diving catch by Rovman Powell at long-on as he attempted a shot over mid-wicket.
Cameron Green, promoted to No. 3, partnered with Virat Kohli to lead RCB to 50 for one at the conclusion of the powerplay. Yuzvendra Chahal’s introduction in the eighth over brought immediate results as Kohli, attempting to up the scoring rate, was caught at mid-wicket for 33. RCB had lost their anchor.
The middle overs saw a seesaw battle with Green looking aggressive against Chahal while Rajat Patidar struggled to settle in. R. Ashwin’s crucial spell tightened the screws around RCB’s middle order and created pressure that led to Green’s dismissal for 27 off 21 balls, caught by Powell once more at cover. Glenn Maxwell followed suit, falling for a duck off the next delivery, caught at long-on, reducing RCB to 97 for four in 13 overs.
Patidar, who had been given a lifeline after being dropped at long-on, began to show his quality with two sixes within seven balls. However, his resurgence was short-lived as Avesh Khan removed him in the 15th over for 34, caught at mid-off.
. Dinesh Karthik then walked out to the middle and survived a leg-before appeal thanks to a third-umpire review.
Mahipal Lomror’s brisk 32 off 17 balls helped RCB edge past 160 as the innings concluded with a late flourish. Swapnil Singh and Karn Sharma added valuable runs to push the final total to 172.
RR’s chase began cautiously with RCB bowlers exploiting the early movement from the pitch. Openers Yashaswi Jaiswal and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were kept quiet until the third over when Jaiswal broke free, hitting four boundaries off Yash Dayal. The partnership gathered pace, adding 46 before the breakthrough came in the fifth over. Kohler-Cadmore fell to a slower delivery from Lockie Ferguson, bowled for 20.
Sanju Samson joined Jaiswal and the duo kept the scoreboard ticking. At the halfway mark, Jaiswal fell just short of his fifty, nicking one to the keeper off Green’s bowling. Samson soon followed, stumped off a wide delivery from Karn Sharma for 17.
With RR in a precarious position, Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer took responsibility for the chase. A stunning run-out by Kohli dismissed Dhruv Jurel, but Parag remained unflappable. Hetmyer, playing as the Impact Player, made a significant impact by dispatching Green over long-on for a six and then Parag followed suit with another maximum over cover.
As the equation for the chase boiled down to 48 needed off the last five overs, both Parag and Hetmyer targeted the loose deliveries, reducing the required rate to manageable levels. Although Mohammed Siraj managed to dismiss Parag for 36 off 26 balls and Hetmyer for a quickfire 26 off 14 balls, RR were left needing just a run-a-ball to seal victory.
Rovman Powell ensured there were no last-minute jitters, finishing the match with two boundaries and a six in the penultimate over, securing RR’s win and booking their spot in the next qualifier.
All eyes now turn to Chennai as RR prepare for their next challenge against KKR in Qualifier 2. The excitement and tension of IPL 2024 continue to build as the tournament heads into its final stages.