A dazzling all-round performance from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) propelled them to a resounding four-wicket victory over the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the fiercely contested Eliminator of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This win has secured RR’s advancement to Qualifier 2, where they are slated to face the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Chennai.
Following tradition, RR’s captain won the toss and opted to bowl first. RCB’s innings showed early promise, with several batsmen getting off to decent starts, none, however, managed to convert these into significant scores. Every time RCB seemed poised to build momentum, RR’s bowlers would intervene, taking key wickets and stalling their progress.
A significant highlight of the early overs was Trent Boult’s mesmerizing bowling spell with the new ball. He gave away just six runs across three overs and scalped the crucial wicket of Faf du Plessis, who was dismissed for 17. At the opposite end, Sandeep Sharma was slightly more expensive, conceding 12 runs in his first over.
A major confrontation materialized in the fourth over when Avesh Khan was introduced into the attack. Virat Kohli greeted him with a sublime pull shot for six. Nevertheless, tragedy struck for RCB in the fifth over when Boult sent du Plessis packing as he attempted a slog over mid-wicket only to be caught by Rovman Powell, diving forward at deep mid-wicket.
Next, Cameron Green arrived at No. 3, overshadowing Rajat Patidar. RCB ended the powerplay with a score of 50 for one. When Yuzvendra Chahal was brought into the attack during the eighth over, Virat Kohli strove to up the scoring rate but ended up skying one to mid-wicket, departing for 33 – a significant breakthrough for RR.
The subsequent overs saw a riveting battle unfold. Green went after Chahal, while Patidar remained patient, finding his footing. Concurrently, R Ashwin delivered a tight spell in the middle overs, curbing the flow of runs and mounting pressure on the RCB batsmen. This pressure soon led to hasty shot-making by RCB. Unfortunately for RR, Patidar was dropped by the fielder at long-on. Despite this reprieve, Green (27 off 21 balls) succumbed in the 13th over, caught by Powell at cover. Off the very next delivery, Glenn Maxwell holed out to long-on.
At the end of 13 overs, RCB stood at 97 for four.
. Patidar then found a semblance of rhythm, scoring two sixes within seven balls before he too fell, holed out at mid-off for 34 in the 15th over, bowled by Avesh. Dinesh Karthik came but faced a controversial leg-before appeal which the third-umpire overturned.
In the death overs, it was Mahipal Lomror’s aggressive approach that propelled RCB to a respectable total. Lomror played a crucial 32 off just 17 balls, ensuring the team surpassed 160. In the final over, Swapnil Singh and Karn Sharma added some valuable runs, pushing the total to 172.
RR’s chase began cautiously, with RCB bowlers extracting some assistance from the pitch. The duo of Yashaswi Jaiswal and Tom Kohler-Cadmore initially struggled to break free. However, in the third over, Jaiswal capitalized on a few loose deliveries by Yash Dayal, hitting four boundaries. This assault set the tone for the chase.
The opening pair added 46 runs before Lockie Ferguson’s slower delivery shattered Kohler-Cadmore’s stumps for 20 runs in the fifth over. Sanju Samson, along with Jaiswal, maintained the chase, keeping up with the required rate. Jaiswal, who was cruising towards a half-century, attempted an audacious scoop off Green but only managed to edge it to the wicketkeeper.
Samson, too, fell soon after, stumped quickly attempting to charge down against Karn Sharma, leaving RR at a slightly precarious juncture. Enter Riyan Parag, entrusted with the responsibility of steering the chase.
Despite a brief scare when Dhruv Jurel was run out brilliantly with a direct hit from Kohli, Parag remained unfazed. Alongside Shimron Hetmyer, RR’s Impact Player, Parag initiated a calculated assault on the bowlers. As the final five overs loomed, RR required 48 runs. Hetmyer smashed the first delivery from Green for a six over long-on, closely followed by Parag’s six over covers and a deft boundary through third-man.
This aggressive approach significantly swung the momentum in RR’s favor, bringing the required rate down to manageable levels. Hetmyer and Parag’s partnership laid a sturdy foundation. Siraj eventually managed to dismiss both Parag (36 off 26 balls) and Hetmyer (26 off 14 balls), but by then, the equation had been simplified to a run-a-ball.
Rovman Powell ensured there were no further hiccups, finishing the match emphatically with two boundaries and a six, sealing the victory for Rajasthan Royals in the penultimate over.
Up next – all eyes turn to Chennai, where RR is set to clash with KKR in what promises to be a scintillating Qualifier 2.