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Rajasthan knock Bengaluru out of IPL

cricket22 May 2024 18:15| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Trent Boult and Ravichandran Ashwin led a brilliant bowling performance by the Rajasthan Royals as they restricted the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 172-8 enabling the batsmen to clinch a four-wicket victory in the IPL Eliminator Match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal laid the platform for victory with 45 from 30 balls allowing Riyan Parag (36) and Shimron Hetmyer (26) to take their team to the point of victory before both were dismissed, prompting a sting in the tail finish.

But Rovman Powell (16* off 8) clinched the victory with a straight six at 174-6 with an over to spare.

New Zealander Boult bowled half of the Power Play overs for remarkable figures of 3-0-6-1 before finishing with 1-16 while veteran offspinner Ashwin finished with 2-19 from his four overs, which included the wickets of big-hitting Australians Camern Green (27) and Glenn Maxwell who played a filthy slog at his first ball and was caught.

Earlier, Faf du Plessis (17) and Virat Kohli (33) looked ominous at the top of the RCB order before Du Plessis was well caught by Powell at midwicket who held an even better, diving catch running in from the midwicket boundary to get rid of Green.

Kohli once again looked in glorious form until legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal had him caught inches inside the midwicket boundary by substitute Donovan Ferreira.

Rajat Patidar (34 from 22 balls) became the fourth batsman to fall when apparently well set with a miscued a slower ball bouncer from Avesh Khan to mid off and Dinesh Karthik (11) perished in near identical fashion to give Avesh, who conceded 17 in his first over, figures of 3-44.

Mahipal Lomror (32 from 17 balls) was yet another RCB batsman to threaten something more significant until Powell claimed his third catch in the deep to give Avesh his third wicket.

Rajasthan will now face the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the second Qualifier Match on Friday for a place in Sunday’s grand final against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Sunrisers were heavily beaten in the first Qualifier Match on Tuesday, losing by eight wickets to KKR who now have a relaxing week as they wait to see who they will face on Sunday.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson (captain/wkt), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (captain), Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj, Lockie Ferguson

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