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, 3x4, 1x6), Faf du Plessis c Powell b Boult 17 (14b, 2x4, 1x6), Cameron Green c Powell b Ashwin 27 (21b, 2x4, 1x6), Rajat Patidar c Parag b Avesh 34 (22b, 2x4, 2x6), Glenn Maxwell c Jurel b Ashwin 0 (1b), Mahipal Lomror c Powell b Avesh 32 (17b, 2x4, 2x6), Dinesh Karthik c Jaiswal b Avesh 11 (13b, 1x4), Swapnil Singh (Impact Player in place of Patidar) (not out) 9 (4b, 1x6), Karn Sharma c Powell b Sandeep 5 (4b, 1x4); 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, 8x4), Tom Kohler-Cadmore b Ferguson 20 (15b, 4x4), Sanju Samson st. Karthik b Karn 17 (13b, 1x6), Riyan Parag b Siraj 36 (26b, 2x4, 2x6), Dhruv Jurel run out 8 (8b, 1x4), Shimron Hetmyer (Impact Player in place of Chahal) c du Plessis b Siraj 26 (14b, 3x4, 1x6), Rovman Powell (not out) 16 (8b, 2x4, 1x6), 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.
