IPL 2024: RCB’s Virat Kohli scored 33 runs in Eliminator game vs RR on May 22.© BCCI

Rajasthan Royals ended Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s roller coaster run in the Indian Premier League with a scratchy four-wicket win in the Eliminator in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. After their bowlers had done their part well to keep RCB to 172/8, RR batters stuttered in the middle overs to allow RCB back into the contest which remained hung in balance for the majority of the second half, but the 2008 winners eventually got home with an over to spare. Chasing 173, Rajasthan ended with 174/6 as Rovman Powell (16 not out) provided the finishing touches in a tense finish.

As he has done several times before this season, Riyan Parag (36 off 26) showcased deep resolve in an adverse situation to help Rajasthan stay alive in the tournament. It was Royals’ first win after four losses and an abandoned game.

2008 winners Royals face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on Friday for a place in the IPL final.

The returning Shimron Hetmyer also played his part to perfection, scoring a crucial 26 off 14 balls.

In a contest wherein fortunes swung from one side to another, RR remained ahead with impactful performances throughout even though Mohammed Siraj (2/33) raised late hopes for RCB with wickets of Parag and Hetmyer in the 18th over, With 13 needed off last two overs, Powell found two fours off Lockie Ferguson to seal the deal in favour of his side.

Earlier, it was Yashasvi Jaiswal (45 off 30) who gave them the impetus at the top.

Off to an unconvincing start with his initial runs coming off the outside edge, Jaiswal grew in confidence when Yash Dayal fed him a few deliveries to capitalise on and the RR opener cracked four fours in the third over to break the shackles.

At the other end, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (20) also hit a couple of fours against Siraj and while getting a lifeline from Glenn Maxwell, who spilled a sitter at deep square leg off Dayal.

With RR’s acceleration rapidly shaving runs off the target, RCB needed a breakthrough and Lockie Ferguson provided the first success when he foxed Kohler-Cadmore with a slow yorker which crashed into the stumps.

The gradual progression of Jaiswal’s innings saw the batter finding his rhythm, but the extreme heat sapped him out completely having faced a mere 29 balls.

In between the ninth and the 10th over, Jaiswal received on-field treatment and got back up only to play a loose shot – an attempted ramp off Cameron Green but only gloved it to the ‘keeper.

Soon after, Karn Sharma dealt a body blow by having Sanju Samson (17) stumped.

With their tails up, RCB continued making inroads with Dhruv Jurel (8) being run out after a brilliant effort from Virat Kohli and Cameron Green. Kohli fired a sharp throw from deep midwicket to the non-striker’s end, where Jurel was found short of his crease.

RR were firmly under pressure heading into the 15th over when they chose to go after Green, who had been all over them with three tidy overs and a wicket up until then.

Hetmyer smacked the Australian for a six and Parag followed his partner in hitting another, while also finding a four to collect 17 runs.

Earlier, Rajasthan Royals put forth a sharp bowling effort.

Led by Trent Boult (4-0-16-1), who produced an opening spell of 3-0-6-1, RR bowlers kept taking wickets at crucial stages to control the game.

The venerable Ravichandran Ashwin (4-0-19-2), having previously gone wicketless for a significant stretch, left an indelible mark with wickets Cameron Green (27) and Glenn Maxwell (0) on consecutive deliveries while Avesh Khan (3/44) also chipped in.

Rajasthan’s bowling was adequately backed up by their fielders, particularly Rovman Powell, who took two stunning catches that clipped RCB’s progress.

LIVE Score: Squads –

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain and wicketkeeper), Abid Mushtaq, Avesh Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Singh Rathore, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tanush Kotian.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Faf du Plessis (captain), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh and Saurav Chauhan.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Eliminator of the Indian Premier League, 2024, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. The match will commence at 7:30 PM IST. In their last match against Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals faced an unfortunate situation as the game was abandoned due to weather conditions. On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore secured a solid victory against Chennai Super Kings, winning by 27 runs.

Faf du Plessis emerged as the top fantasy player for RCB, earning 93 fantasy points for his performance.

Head-to-Head

In the 31 matches played between these two teams, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s batters have earned the most fantasy points for their team, while the bowlers have accumulated the most points for Rajasthan Royals.

In their previous encounter this season, Jos Buttler was named Man of the Match, leading Rajasthan Royals with 151 fantasy points. Virat Kohli was the top performer for Royal Challengers Bangalore, scoring 165 fantasy points.

Top Players to Watch

Virat Kohli:

The top-order right-handed batter for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Virat Kohli has been in exceptional form, scoring 708 runs in 14 matches, averaging 64.4 runs per game.

Faf du Plessis:

Another top-order right-handed batter for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Faf du Plessis has scored 421 runs in 14 matches, with an average of 30.1 per match.

Riyan Parag:

The right-handed top-order batter for Rajasthan Royals has been a significant contributor, amassing 531 runs in 14 matches, averaging 59 runs per game.

Cameron Green:

A versatile all-rounder for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Green has scored 228 runs in 12 matches, averaging 32.6. He also contributes with the ball, taking nine wickets at an average of 30.6.

Nandre Burger:

Bowling left-arm medium-fast, Nandre Burger has taken seven wickets in six matches for Rajasthan Royals, averaging 20.7 per match

Sandeep Sharma:

With his right-arm medium pace, Sandeep Sharma has claimed 10 wickets in nine matches for Rajasthan Royals, averaging 23.8.

As Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore gear up for this crucial eliminator, the performances of these key players will be pivotal in determining which team advances further in the tournament.