Rajasthan Royals (174/6) defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru (172/8) on Wednesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium to make it to the Second Qualifier clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad. While batting first, Rajat Patidar (34/22) and Virat Kohli (33/24) helped RCB post 172 runs, which turned out to be low as Rajasthan Royals chased it down with an over to spare – Thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal (45/30) and Riyan Parag’s (36/26) clinical batting.
Having lost the toss, RCB was put into bat with Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis (17/14) providing a steady start. Kohli, however, got out in the 8th over as Cameron Green (27/21) and Rajat Patidar controlled the damage. But RCB’s lower order was unable to make use of the start and in the end, they could put up only 172 runs on board.
All is 𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡 when Po𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡 is there 😎
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Rajasthan Royals ease out the nerves with a 4️⃣ wicket victory 🩷
With that, they move forward in the quest for glory 🙌
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Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (20/15) took charge early in the powerplay for the Rajasthan Royals. Karn Sharma (1/19) and Green (1/28) choked runs in the middle, resulting in the wickets of Jaiswal and Sanju Samson (17/13), keeping RCB in the hunt. Rajasthan, however, was able to successfully chase the score thanks to Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer (26/14).
For a place in the finals at Chepauk, Rajasthan Royals now face Sunrisers Hyderabad on 24th May. With bowlers finding rhythm and batsmen taking charge, they suddenly appear solid. The Chepauk pitch is ideal for them and their experienced spinners. Royal Challengers Bengaluru who appeared in beast mode have again choked in the playoffs, and their batting has again failed big time.
Rajasthan Royals won the match with an over to spare, but it was a close game, and here are five moments that define this match.
Rovman Powell’s brilliance in fielding
After coming to bat first, Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a steady but strong start. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis changed gears after the third over, smashing Avesh Khan (3/44) for 17 runs. However, as RCB picked up pace, Trent Boult (1/16) came up with a blow of Du Plessis’s wicket, but Rovman Powell’s (16/8) superb catch in deep midwicket made the difference. At that stage, RCB were just getting their feet wet, so De Plessis’s wicket was crucial.
Ashwin’s magic in 13th over
Following the wickets of Kohli and Plessis, RCB was on the back foot and needed a revival, which Green and Patidar provided. Initially, both batsmen stabilized their innings but then burst into action. Rajasthan bowlers came in clutch again as RCB started to pick up momentum and it was Ravi Ashwin’s (2/19) turn. Ashwin took the wickets of Green and Glenn Maxwell (0/1) on consecutive balls to derail Bengaluru’s transition.
Avesh Khan’s Golden over
Mahipal Lamror (32/17) took the charge against Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers in the death overs and was on course to steer the team’s score to 180+. As RCB approached the perfect finish in the last two overs, Avesh Khan came in and destroyed their chances. Rajasthan Royals pacer dismissed both Dinesh Karthik (11/13) and Mahipal Lamror in the same over to put brakes on Bengaluru’s acceleration which resulted in RCB finishing at just 172 runs.
Jaiswal special in powerplay
Yashasvi Jaiswal hasn’t been having the best of seasons, but he showed up to the party when his team needed him the most. After coming into the chase, Rajasthan looked hesitant in the first couple of overs, which raised tension in the dugout. In the third over, Jaiswal nailed Yash Dayal (0/37) for four boundaries, which shifted the pressure and broke the flow of runs for the remainder of the powerplay.
Parag and Hetmyer’s attack
Rajasthan Royals were on the back foot after Dhruv Jurel (8/8) was run out. Parag and Hetmyer were looking to take the game deep as the run rate increased, but they took a big gamble against Green in the 16th over and came out on top. They clubbed Green for 17 runs in that over, lowering the required run rate to 7 runs. Rajasthan was helped a lot by this.
Royals have scheduled a date with Sunrisers Hyderabad for Qualifier 2 at Chepauk on 24th May. Shimron Hetmyer’s return has restored balance to the team, and they looked solid against Benguluru. Rajasthan Royals will look to take advantage of Chepauk’s conditions, which could favor them more than Hyderabad. In retrospect, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru would be proud of how things turned out, despite getting trapped in another playoff muddle. Out of nowhere, they qualified for the playoffs despite being at the bottom of the table of 8 games.
