The in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru against a side who are on a slide viz. Rajasthan Royals in a do-or-die IPL Eliminator in Ahmedabad on May 22, 2024
| Photo Credit: K. Bhagya Prakash

When Rajasthan Royals won its eighth match of the IPL season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had just two victories. Where RR seemed set for a top-two finish, RCB was all but out of contention for a place in the playoffs.

Since then, the sides’ paths have diverged dramatically; RR contrived to finish third while RCB stormed into fourth, setting the stage for an exciting Eliminator clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 21.

Royals haven’t won a game since their seven-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants on April 27 and come into this fixture on the back of four consecutive defeats and a washed-out final league game.

In contrast, RCB’s journey has been the stuff of dreams, cinematic in every way. After losing seven of its first eight games, Faf du Plessis’ men have won their last six, including the last against Chennai Super Kings on a dramatic night at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

With the wind behind its sails, RCB will feel it has an edge based on recent form and clarity in gameplan. The turnaround has been fashioned by its batting firepower, led by Virat Kohli.

Rajat Patidar’s uptick in form and impetus in the middle-overs have ensured the team is not over-reliant on the top-order.

Among bowlers, Mohammed Siraj, Lockie Ferguson and Yash Dayal have done their bits to keep opponents in check.

For Royals, skipper Sanju Samson has led from the front, scoring heavily in its first eight wins. The 2008 champion’s troubles in recent times stem from its misfiring middle-order. Lack of runs from Dhruv Jurel and Rovman Powell has exposed vulnerabilities.

Shimron Hetmyer’s absence has affected the balance of the side, and the Rajasthan outfit will pray that the West Indian is fit for this tie. RR will also look to fall back on its bowling depth, which has a mix of top-class pacers and spinners, to tip the scales in its favour.

Despite having its back to the wall, RCB has livened up the tournament by playing with freedom. But now that the stakes are higher, will it continue sticking to its proven formula and extend the fairytale?

Teams (from):

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c&wk), 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 (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (wk), 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.

Match starts at 7:30pm IST.

Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler celebrates scoring fifty runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangaluru in Jaipur, India, Saturday, April 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Rajasthan Royals increasingly looks the team to beat. But, the thing is nobody has found a way to do it yet.

Sanju Samson’s men defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets with five balls to spare at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday night. Riding on Virat Kohli’s eighth IPL hundred, RCB had made 183 for three.

Game No. 100

The Indian master’s century was nullified by a magnificent one from Jos Buttler (100 n.o., 58b, 9×4, 4×6), in his hundredth IPL game.

He had needed six to reach his sixth IPL century while his team required only one.

Buttler pulled Cameron Green to clear the boundary. His wild celebration meant how much it meant to him after going through a terrible patch.

Four on four

It was the Royals’ fourth win in as many matches. They are now leading the table.

It was Buttler’s 148-run partnership for the second with Samson (69, 42b, 8×4, 2×6) that made the chase look easy. The Royals team management must be relieved with the England superstar’s knock.

With the law of averages seems to be catching up with his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal, Royals had been somewhat short of runs at the top of the order, but Riyan Parag’s great run meant the team didn’t have to suffer.

After Jaiswal was dismissed off the second ball of the innings — his leading edge off Reece Topley ballooned to Glenn Maxwell at mid-off — Buttler and Samson virtually took the game away from RCB.

The RCB innings had once again been more about Kohli (113 n.o., 72b, 12×4, 4×6). On this night, he got support from captain Faf du Plessis (44, 33b, 2×4, 2×6), who may not have looked at his fluent best, as they put on 125 for the first wicket.

Kohli had indicated he was in nice touch from early on, with a wristy flick to square-leg for four against Nandre Burger and then a gorgeous swivelled-pull for a maximum against the same bowler in the following over.

But, his innings was destined to be overshadowed by Buttler’s.

SCOREBOARD

ROYAL CHALLENGERS

Virat Kohli (not out) 113 (72b, 12×4, 4×6), Faf du Plessis c Buttler b Chahal 44 (33b, 2×4, 2×6), Glenn Maxwell b Burger 1 (3b), Saurav Chauhan c Jaiswal b Chahal 9 (6b, 1×6), Cameron Green (not out) 5 (6b); Extras (lb-2, w-9): 11. Total (for three wkts. in 20 overs): 183.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-125 (du Plessis, 13.6 overs), 2-128 (Maxwell, 14.5), 3-155 (Saurav, 17.2).

ROYALS BOWLING

Boult 3-0-30-0, Burger 4-0-33-1, Ashwin 4-0-28-0, Avesh 4-0-46-0, Chahal 4-0-34-2, Parag 1-0-10-0.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS

Yashasvi Jaiswal c Maxwell b Topley 0 (2b), Jos Buttler (not out) 100 (58b, 9×4, 4×6), Sanju Samson c Dayal b Siraj 69 (42b, 8×4, 2×6), Riyan Parag c Kohli b Dayal 4 (4b, 1×4), Dhruv Jurel c Karthik b Topley 2 (3b), Shimron Hetmyer (not out) 11 (6b, 2×4); Extras (w-3): 3; Total (for four wkts. in 19.1 overs): 189.

FALL OF WICKETS

1-0 (Jaiswal, 0.2), 2-148 (Samson, 14.4), 3-155 (Parag, 15.4), 4-164 (Jurel, 16.3).

RCB BOWLING

Topley 4-0-27-2, Dayal 4-0-37-1, Siraj 4-0-35-1, Dagar 2-0-34-0, Green 3.1-0-27-0, Himanshu (Impact Player in place of Saurav) 2-0-29-0.

Toss: Royals. PoM: Buttler.

RR won by six wickets with five 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.