The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) faced yet another setback in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs after their defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator match on Thursday. With this loss, RCB has now conceded the most defeats in IPL playoffs, having lost 10 out of 16 playoff matches they’ve played.
In a match where almost every RCB batter got a start but failed to convert it into a big knock, they were restricted to 172/8 in their 20 overs. Despite notable contributions from Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, and Mahipal Lomror, the RCB batting lineup struggled to accelerate, thanks to RR’s disciplined bowling performance.
In response, Rajasthan Royals got off to a strong start with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tom Kohler Cadmore, but RCB bowlers applied pressure and picked up crucial wickets. However, Riyan Parag’s resilient innings, supported by Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell’s late flourish, led RR to a four-wicket victory with an over to spare.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s impressive bowling performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award in IPL.
With this win, Rajasthan Royals will now face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in qualifier two on May 24 in Chennai to determine who will play Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final on May 26.