During the eliminator match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) spinner Ravichandran Ashwin overtook Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) veteran Sunil Narine to claim the fifth position in the list of highest wicket-takers in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ashwin achieved this milestone with a notable performance, taking two wickets for 19 runs in four overs with an economy rate of 4.80.
Ashwin now has 180 wickets in 211 IPL matches, averaging 29.58 with an economy rate of 7.10, including his best bowling figures of 4/34. He has surpassed Narine, who has 179 wickets in 176 games at an average of 25.44, with best figures of 5/19.
In the eliminator match, RR chose to bowl first and restricted RCB to 172/8 in 20 overs. Ashwin, along with other bowlers like Avesh Khan (3/44) and Trent Boult (1/16), played a crucial role in containing RCB’s batting lineup.
In their chase, RR had a solid start with Yashasvi Jaiswal (45) and Tom Kohler Cadmore (20) contributing to a 46-run partnership. Despite facing some pressure from RCB bowlers, Riyan Parag (36) and contributions from Shimron Hetmyer (26) and Rovman Powell (16*) helped RR secure a four-wicket victory with an over to spare.
Ashwin’s impactful performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award. RR will now face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in qualifier two on May 24 to determine the finalist against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 26 in Chennai.