IPL 2018: RCB hit dead end, Royals inch closer to Play-off berth

JAIPUR: Move over Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi and Shreyas Gopal are Rajasthan Royals’ new heroes. Tripathi’s unbeaten 80 and Gopal’s 4/16 helped Rajasthan knock the Royal Challengers Bangalore out of IPL 2018. Royals now have an outside chance of making it to the playoffs.
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After winning the toss and choosing to bat first at the jam-packed Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Rajasthan managed 164/5, their highest total while batting first at home this season.Then, they survived a half-century from AB de Villiers to finish the job, bowling Bangalore out for 134 in 19.2 overs to win by 30 runs.
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The Royals have done their bit by winning their final game and take their tally to 14 points. They will now hope that both Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab lose their matches to Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings respectively on Sunday.
Tripathi was the standout performer on the day during his 58-ball knock, hitting five boundaries and three sixes. Memorably, he stepped out of the crease and played the lofted inside-out drive to legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal. His opening partner was a surprise in the form of Jofra Archer, who failed to click.
Then came Rajasthan captain Ajinkya Rahane. Their 99-run partnership from 69 deliveries brought the hosts into a position from where they could put up a big score and apply pressure on Bangalore captain Virat Kohli. Rahane and Sanju Samson got out in quick succession, with Umesh Yadav (3/25) again showing he is in red-hot form. But wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen’s brisk 32 from 21 balls and Krishnappa Gowtham’s two sixes in the final over off Tim Southee got the Royals to 164.
Gowtham made another big impact when he clean bowled Kohli off the fifth ball of the third over. The India captain came down the track and played a nothing shot to a quick delivery, only to see his furniture being disturbed. AB’s entry was met with big roars from the stands. He hit three wonderfully timed boundaries off Archer in the fourth over to get himself going. He and Parthiv Patel (33) added 55 runs for the second wicket and were well ahead of the asking rate after the compulsory Powerplay. At 75/1 in 8.2 overs, RCB might have entertained thoughts of a playoff berth but that is when Gopal changed the script.