On Wednesday, Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) faced off in the Eliminator of IPL 2024 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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Put in to bat first, RCB got off to a quick start but lost both their openers before the tenth over. A middle-overs recovery was constructed by Cameron Green and Rajat Patidar, but they regularly lost wickets before eventually scoring 172/8 in their 20 overs.
In reply, RR chased down the score with an over to spare. Despite some nervy moments towards the end, they were largely in control of the game as contributions from Yashasvi Jaiswal (45), Riyan Parag (36) and Shimron Hetmyer (26) took them over the line.
'This was a win and a half for RR' - Irfan Pathan
The win for RR came on the back of four consecutive losses and a washout, while RCB suffered a first loss after winning six on the trot. The Royals came in for high praise from former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who called it a 'win and a half' for the Sanju Samson-led side.
The whole Ahmedabad stadium was supporting RCB. Decisions were going in favour of RCB. This is a win and half for Rajasthan Royals. Well done.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) May 22, 2024
There were a couple of umpiring decisions which did go in RCB's favour, most notably the decision to give Dinesh Karthik not out when he was rapped on the pads by Avesh Khan in the 15th over. In the second innings as well, Cameron Green''s run-out of Dhruv Jurel appeared contentious as there was a slight doubt over whether he was holding the ball when he broke the stumps.
READ MORE: Was Dinesh Karthik wrongly given not out against RR?
It was perhaps not surprising that the Ahmedabad crowd was behind RCB, given the enormous fanbase the franchise has garnered across India, largely down to India star Virat Kohli.
READ MORE: Sunil Gavaskar claims Virat Kohli became the player he is due to MS Dhoni
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