In an electrifying encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) delivered an outstanding all-round performance to secure a four-wicket victory over the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Eliminator of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. This crucial win propels RR to Qualifier 2, where they are set to face the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Chennai.
The high-stakes match kicked off with RR opting to bowl first after winning the toss. Right from the onset, RCB’s innings oscillated between promise and peril, with multiple batters getting off to starts but failing to capitalize. For every period of dominance displayed by the RCB batsmen, RR’s bowlers responded by taking critical wickets, thus stalling RCB’s momentum.
Trent Boult set the tone for RR with an impeccable spell with the new ball. He conceded just six runs in his three overs and claimed the prized wicket of RCB’s skipper, Faf du Plessis, who managed 17 before falling in the fifth over. Du Plessis’ dismissal came through a sharp diving catch in the deep by Rovman Powell as the RCB’s captain attempted a big shot over mid-wicket.
On the other side, runs flowed more freely. Sandeep Sharma leaked 12 runs in the second over. Avesh Khan joined the attack in the fourth over but was immediately welcomed by Virat Kohli with a powerful pull shot for six. Kohli then carried the RCB innings, pushing the score to 50 for one at the end of the powerplay. However, Kohli’s aggression proved to be his undoing, as he holed out to mid-wicket off Yuzvendra Chahal for 33 in the eighth over.
Following Kohli’s departure, a gripping tussle unfolded. Cameron Green, who was sent in ahead of Rajat Patidar, managed to accelerate the innings but fell for 27 off 21 balls, caught at cover by Powell off Ashwin’s clever bowling in the 13th over. Maxwell, attempting to replicate Green’s aggression, also succumbed to the pressure, caught at long-on in the same over, reducing RCB to a precarious 97 for four.
Patidar, who had survived an earlier reprieve, found his rhythm soon after with a quick burst of two sixes. However, his resurgence was short-lived as he holed out to mid-off for 34 in the 15th over, giving Avesh Khan a vital breakthrough.
. Following Patidar, Dinesh Karthik stepped in and faced a dramatic first ball, resulting in a leg-before appeal that was overturned by the third umpire.
The final overs saw Mahipal Lomror exhibit some aggressive batting to push RCB towards a respectable total. Lomror scored 32 off 17 balls, helping RCB breach the 160-run mark. Contributions from Swapnil Singh and Karn Sharma in the last over further nudged the total to 172, setting a challenge for the RR batters.
RR’s run-chase began cautiously as the RCB bowlers made the most of the wicket, keeping the batsmen in check during the first two overs. The deadlock was broken by Yashaswi Jaiswal in the third over, who amassed four boundaries off Yash Dayal, one of which was a dropped catch at first slip. The opening pair added 46 runs before RCB made a breakthrough in the fifth over, with Lockie Ferguson dismantling Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s stumps for 20 with a well-executed slower ball.
Jaiswal continued his assault but was eventually dismissed in the 10th over for a brisk 40 when he feathered a scoop shot to the wicketkeeper off Green. Shortly afterward, RR’s captain Sanju Samson charged at Karn Sharma but was stumped for 17, leaving the chase in a delicate balance.
With mounting pressure, Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer shouldered the responsibility to steer RR towards victory. Despite a minor scare with the brilliant run-out of Dhruv Jurel by Virat Kohli, Parag and Hetmyer kept their composure. Parag, particularly, paced his innings well, adding vital runs when needed.
When the equation boiled down to needing 48 runs off the last five overs, Hetmyer reignited the chase with a six over long-on from Green’s delivery. Following his lead, Parag audaciously lofted a six over cover and skillfully guided another ball through third-man for a four, easing the required run-rate tension. Hetmyer, making a critical return to the XI, proved his mettle by stabilizing RR’s innings under duress.
Siraj briefly revived RCB’s hopes by dismissing Parag for 36 and Hetmyer for 26, yet with a run-a-ball needed, Rovman Powell ensured there were no further hiccups. He finished the game in the penultimate over with two stylish fours and a six, sealing a memorable triumph for the Royals.
With this thrilling victory, the Rajasthan Royals march confidently to Chennai, eyeing their next challenge against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2, marking another exciting chapter in this year’s IPL journey.