Ahmedabad: In a thrilling encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Rajasthan Royals (RR) defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 4 wickets in the Eliminator of IPL 2024 on Wednesday night. With this victory, RR secured their place in Qualifier 2, where they will face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Chennai on Friday, May 24. The winner of that match will advance to the final against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the same venue on Sunday, May 26.
Chasing a target of 173, Rajasthan Royals reached the mark in 19 overs, thanks to a decisive final over from Lockie Ferguson, who conceded the remaining 14 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored for RR with 45, while Riyan Parag played a crucial innings of 36.
Earlier, RCB set a total of 172 for 8 after being invited to bat first. Rajat Patidar contributed 34 off 22 balls, while the in-form opener Virat Kohli added 33 off 24 balls. Senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bowled exceptionally well, finishing with figures of 2 for 19 in his four overs.
During the match, Virat Kohli reached a historic milestone, becoming the first-ever batter to accumulate 8000 runs in IPL history.
The match saw intense moments and strategic plays from both sides, but it was RR’s consistent batting and disciplined bowling that ultimately led them to victory. As the tournament progresses, fans eagerly anticipate the upcoming clashes, with RR looking to secure their spot in the final and potentially lift the IPL trophy.