RR skipper Sanju Samson in action during the IPL 2024 Eliminator match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 22, 2023.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson equalled Shane Warne’s record and achieved the most wins as Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Samson reached the landmark after the Royals beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by four wickets in the IPL 2024 Eliminator match on Wednesday.

Both Samson and Warne have 31 victories as the skipper of the Rajasthan-based franchise. Rahul Dravid stands in third spot on the list with 18 wins. While Steven Smith won 15 matches with RR and holds the fourth place.

Recapping the match between RR and RCB on Thursday, RR won the toss and elected to bowl first. Almost every RCB batter got a start, but they could not convert them into a big knock. Rajat Patidar (34 in 22 balls, with two fours and two sixes), Virat Kohli (33 in 24 balls, with three fours and a six) and Mahipal Lomror (32 in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) emerged as top-scorers, restricting RCB to 172/8 in their 20 overs.

Avesh Khan (3/44) was the top bowler for RR. Ravichandran Ashwin (2/19) and Trent Boult (1/16) also did a fine job of putting brakes on RCB run-rate.

In the run-chase, the Royals’ got off to a fine start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (45 in 30 balls, with eight fours) and Tom Kohler Cadmore (20 in 15 balls, with four boundaries) putting on a 46-run stand. From then on, RCB bowlers applied some pressure on Rajasthan, restricting the run-flow and getting some wickets. RR was restricted to 112/4 in 13.1 overs.

However, Riyan Parag (36 in 26 balls, with two fours and two sixes) held one end before he was dismissed while Shimron Hetmyer (26 in 14 balls, with three fours and a six) and Rovman Powell (16* in eight balls, with two fours and a six) attacked RCB in the last few overs to get a four-wicket win with an over left.

Mohammed Siraj (2/33) was the top bowler for RCB. Ashwin took home the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

Now, RR will meet Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in qualifier two on May 24 in Chennai to decide who plays Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final on May 26.

In a pulsating contest that saw momentum swing like a pendulum, Rajasthan Royals held its nerve to stop Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s fairytale run with a four-wicket win in the Eliminator at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.

Electing to bowl, a superb performance by the experienced Trent Boult (4-0-16-1) and R. Ashwin (4-0-19-2) helped Royals restrict RCB to 172 for eight.

Chasing a target of 173, Royals started cautiously in the first two overs before Yashasvi Jaiswal (45) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (20) hit a flurry of boundaries off Yash Dayal in a 46-run opening wicket partnership.

Sanju Samson pulled Swapnil Singh for a six, and Jaiswal hit two more boundaries as RR moved into a strong position, scoring 27 runs in the two overs after the PowerPlay.

However, RCB fought back, taking three quick wickets as Cameron Green bowled a tidy spell. But in the Aussie’s final over, things unravelled for the Bengaluru side as Riyan Parag (36) and Shimron Hetmyer (26) hit 17 runs in the 16th over. The duo joined forces when the match was in the balance at 112 for four and stitched a 45-run stand off 25 balls.

Mohammed Siraj gave RCB some hope by removing both batters before Rovman Powell calmed nerves with an unbeaten 16 to guide Royals into a Qualifier 2 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on Friday.

Earlier, left-arm pacer Boult’s skills came to the fore as he swung the ball into the right-handed openers — Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis — and tied them down in a razor-sharp first spell (3-0-6-1).

However, runs flowed freely from the other end as Kohli looked ominous, taking on the pacers Sandeep Sharma and Avesh Khan and hitting them down the ground.

Kohli continued his regal march, stroking two boundaries off Sandeep to help RCB finish the PowerPlay at 50 for one. But against the run of play, Yuzvendra Chahal removed Kohli, who slog-swept straight to midwicket.

Ashwin put on a spin masterclass and turned the game on his head in a spell during which he did not concede a single boundary. The 37-year-old brought his variation into play, mixing off-breaks and carrom balls, and kept Green and Rajat Patidar quiet. In his final over, Ashwin put his side in the driver’s seat, removing Green and Glenn Maxwell off consecutive deliveries – both were caught in the deep – as RCB slipped to 97 for four in the 13th. Patidar, who was dropped on five, got the innings back on track, scoring a quickfire 34. He found support from Mahipal Lomror, who stroked a 17-ball 32. But Avesh (three for 44) returned strongly in his final over – the penultimate of the innings – to remove Dinesh Karthik and Lomror to deny RCB the final flourish, which proved costly in the end.

SCOREBOARD

ROYAL CHALLENGERS

Virat Kohli c (sub) Ferreira b Chahal 33 (24b, 3×4, 1×6), Faf du Plessis c Powell b Boult 17 (14b, 2×4, 1×6), Cameron Green c Powell b Ashwin 27 (21b, 2×4, 1x6), Rajat Patidar c Parag b Avesh 34 (22b, 2×4, 2×6), Glenn Maxwell c Jurel b Ashwin 0 (1b), Mahipal Lomror c Powell b Avesh 32 (17b, 2×4, 2×6), Dinesh Karthik c Jaiswal b Avesh 11 (13b, 1×4), Swapnil Singh (Impact Player in place of Patidar) (not out) 9 (4b, 1×6), Karn Sharma c Powell b Sandeep 5 (4b, 1×4); Extras (lb-2, w-2): 4; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 172.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-37 (du Plessis, 4.4 overs), 2-56 (Kohli, 7.2), 3-97 (Green, 12.3), 4-97 (Maxwell, 12.4), 5-122 (Patidar, 14.2), 6-154 (Karthik, 18.2), 7-159 (Lomror, 18.5), 8-172 (Karn, 19.6).

ROYALS BOWLING

Boult 4-0-16-1, Sandeep 4-0-48-1, Avesh 4-0-44-3, Ashwin 4-0-19-2, Chahal 4-0-43-1.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS

Yashasvi Jaiswal c Karthik b Green 45 (30b, 8×4), Tom Kohler-Cadmore b Ferguson 20 (15b, 4×4), Sanju Samson st. Karthik b Karn 17 (13b, 1×6), Riyan Parag b Siraj 36 (26b, 2×4, 2×6), Dhruv Jurel run out 8 (8b, 1×4), Shimron Hetmyer (Impact Player in place of Chahal) c du Plessis b Siraj 26 (14b, 3×4, 1×6), Rovman Powell (not out) 16 (8b, 2×4, 1×6), R. Ashwin (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (lb-1, w-5): 6; Total (for six wkts. in 19 overs): 174.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-46 (Kohler-Cadmore, 5.3), 2-81 (Jaiswal, 9.2), 3-86 (Samson, 9.6), 4-112 (Jurel, 13.1), 5-157 (Parag, 17.2), 6-160 (Hetmyer, 17.6).

RCB BOWLING

Swapnil 2-0-19-0, Siraj 4-0-33-2, Dayal 3-0-37-0, Ferguson 4-0-37-1, Karn 2-0-19-1, Green 4-0-28-1.

Toss: RR.

RR won by four wickets with six balls to spare.

Fans will be expecting a feast of runs when Rajasthan Royals will be hosting Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Jaipur on April 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The hugely popular franchise has gone for a slight name change this season, but there has not been much of a change when it comes to the tradition of disappointing its fans, in the early stage of this IPL. Royal Challengers Bengaluru must be desperate to give their loyal supporters something to cheer about and put their campaign back on track when it takes on a confident Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on April 5.

Sanju Samson’s men have won all their three games so far. That they have done it without their formidable opening duo of Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal making much of a contribution says a lot about the way they have performed thus far.

The captain himself has had a couple of disappointing knocks after his unbeaten 82 against Lucknow Super Giants in the opening match. But Riyan Parag’s consistency has made up for the lack of runs at the top of the order.

Promoted to No. 4, he has been a revelation with scores of 43, 54 n.o. and 84 n.o. The bowling attack, in the form of Trent Boult, Nandre Burger, Yuzvendra Chahal, R. Ashwin and Avesh Khan, has been sharp, too.

The visitors, on the other hand, have to come up with improved shows with both bat and ball. Virat Kohli has scored 203 runs, with a couple of fifties, but the other batters, including skipper Faf du Plessis, need to deliver. More is also expected from the bowlers, especially the likes of Mohammed Siraj.

Teams (from):

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, 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, Saurav Chauhan.

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

Match starts at 7.30 PM.