The Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) Eliminator match pitted Rajasthan Royals (RR) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for a spot in Friday’s Qualifier 2 matchup versus Sunrisers Hyderabad. After winning the toss, captain Sanju Samson decided to bowl first in an attempt to take advantage of the dew factor in the second innings. Bengaluru started with the same lineup, but a major plus for the Royals was the return of Shimron Hetmyer to the starting lineup.
After 7 overs, Royal Challengers Bengaluru is 56/1, and the first strategic time out occurs.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru openers got off to a cautious start since they were aware of Trent Boult’s swing and well countered it. Without taking many chances, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis were both looking for boundaries, and they were successful in doing so. However, in an effort to step it up, du Plessis left the field when Rovman Powell made an outstanding catch, bringing Cameron Green to the wicket for the Bangalore-based team.
Following 16 overs, RCB is 134/5. There is a second strategic time out.
The two were a great complement to one another and frequently tried to switch up the strike. However, Yuzvendra Chahal took the highly sought-after wicket of Virat Kohli shortly after the tactical time-out, and that wicket gave the team momentum. The team’s goal when Rajat Patidar took the crease was to steady the innings.
Patidar and Cameron Green put together a fantastic 43-run partnership as both hitters were consistently hitting the boundaries. But Ravichandran Ashwin made things worse for the Bengaluru team by dismissing Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green in back-to-back deliveries during his final over.
Even though he was having a rough day, Avesh Khan was still able to get rid of the deadly Rajat Patidar by using the short ball trick. On the next ball, he had the opportunity to dismiss Dinesh Karthik as well, but the seasoned hitter was forced to stay at the crease due to a contentious decision made by the third umpire.
After 20 overs, Royal Challengers Bengaluru is at 172/8.
Also Read: IPL 2024 Eliminator: RR Uses Hetmyer as Impact Sub, RCB Unchanged
During the final overs, Mahipal Lomror and Dinesh Karthik attempted to assist the team by launching a barrage of boundaries. With a short ball, Avesh Khan eventually removed Dinesh Karthik from the game, and three balls later, he also removed Lomror. Karn Sharma and Swapnil Singh had brief appearances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who eventually finished at 172/8.
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