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May 22, 2024
RCB will take on Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator of IPL 2024 on Wednesday, having qualified for the playoffs as the fourth-placed team.
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) owner Vijay Mallya feels the franchise has the best chance to win its maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title this year. RCB will take on Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator of IPL 2024 on Wednesday, having qualified for the playoffs as the fourth-placed team. Mallya recalled the scenes ahead of the very first IPL season when he bid to buy RCB. He revealed that buying RCB and star batter Virat Kohli was the best decision he could’ve made.
Taking to social media platform X, Mallya said his “inner instinct tells me that RCB have the best chance to go for the IPL Trophy”.
“When I bid for the RCB franchise and I bid for Virat, my inner instinct told me that I could not have made better choices. My inner instinct tells me that RCB have the best chance to go for the IPL Trophy. Onward and Upward. Best of luck,” Mallya posted on X.
RCB booked their spot in the IPL 2024 playoffs with a thrilling victory over Chennai Super Kings on Saturday. It was a massive achievement for RCB, which won six matches on the trot to book its spot in the Top 4.
Mallya had earlier congratulated RCB on reaching the playoffs.
“Heartiest congratulations to RCB for qualifying in the top four and reaching the IPL playoffs. Great determination and skill have created a winning momentum after a disappointing start. Onward and upward towards the trophy,” he had posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
In their do-or-die match vs CSK, captain Faf Du Plessis and Cameron Green took RCB to a score above 200, and Yash Dayal produced a disciplined display of fast bowling to clinch the victory.
Faf dedicated his Man of the Match award to fast bowler Yash Dayal.
“I dedicate this Man of the Match to Yash Dayal. The way he bowled was unbelievable. For a man who’s fairly new, he deserves it. [on what he told Dayal before the last over] Pace off is the best option on this pitch and trust your skills and enjoy, this is what you trained for. The yorker did not work the 1st ball and he went back to pace off and it worked unbelievably well,” Faf said after the match.
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.
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 to keep RCB to 172/8, RR batters stuttered in the middle overs to allow RCB back into the contest, which remained hung in the balance for most of the second half. Still, 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 the 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 the last two overs, Powell found two fours off Lockie Ferguson to seal the deal in favor of his side.
Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal (45 off 30) 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 capitalize on. 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 while getting a lifeline from Glenn Maxwell, who spilled a sitter at deep square leg off Dayal.
With RR’s rapid acceleration shaving runs off the target, RCB needed a breakthrough. Lockie Ferguson provided the first success when he foxed Kohler-Cadmore with a slow yorker that crashed into the stumps.
The gradual progression of Jaiswal’s innings saw the batter find his rhythm. Still, the extreme heat sapped him out, and he ultimately faced 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 stumping Sanju Samson (17).
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 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. At the same time, Avesh Khan (3/44) also chipped in.
Rajasthan’s bowling was adequately backed up by their fielders, notably Rovman Powell, who took two stunning catches that clipped RCB’s progress.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Top Cricket News, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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