Hello and welcome to Sportstar's LIVE coverage of the IPL 2022 Qualifier 2 between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals from the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Jos Buttler seals a sensational win with a six. He remains unbeaten on 106 off 60 as Rajasthan gets over the line with 11 balls to spare. Another IPL, another heartbreak for Bangalore. Meanwhile, this is Rajasthan's first IPL final since its title-winning run in 2008 under Shane Warne. That would be all from our side. Thanks for joining us tonight.
RR 155/3 in 18 overs: Maxwell. Buttler reaches his 100 with a single, his fourth this season! What a player. He gets there in 59 balls.
RR 148/3 in 17 overs: Hazlewood. Buttler has moved to 94 with a four. Padikkal has been caught behind. Shimron Hetmyer is in next.
RR 140/2 in 16 overs: Hasaranga again. Buttler launches one over long-off for six. He ends the over with another six. Buttler 12 away from a hundred.
RR 126/2 in 15 overs: Harshal back into the attack. Another quiet over, just four off it.
RR 122/2 in 14 overs: Maxwell back into the attack. Just five off it.
TIME OUT
RR 117/2 in 13 overs: Hazlewood. Good over from the Australian speedster. Just three from it.
RR 114/2 in 12 overs: Hasaranga. Samson has been stumped. Too little too late? Devdutt Padikkal comes to the crease. 2 runs from the over.
RR 112/1 in 11 overs: Harshal. DK drops a sitter first ball, Buttler survives. Samson hits the fourth ball for six as Royals near big win. Nine runs from the over.
RR 103/1 in 10 overs: Wanindu. Samson cuts the first ball for four. Royals have gone past 100. 6 from the over.
RR 97/1 in 9 overs: Shahbaz back into the attack. Samson steps down the track and hits the second ball for six. Buttler gets a four off an outside edge now. He carves the next ball for four as well.
TIME OUT
RR 81/1 in 8 overs: Wanindu Hasaranga. Samson on strike. He gets a single second ball. Good over from the Lankan leggie. Four singles from it in the end.
RR 77/1 in 7 overs: Harshal Patel into the attack. Buttler on strike. Buttler gets single off the second ball. Samson pinches one off the third. Buttler brings up his 50 with a four, off 23 balls. He ends the over with another four.
RR 67/1 in 6 overs: GONE! Hazlewood gets Jaiswal! Sanju Samson is in at 3. Buttler continues his impressive form, collects four more. 6 runs and a wicket off it. PowerPlay done.
RR 61/0 in 5 overs: Shahbaz Ahmed now. Jaiswal collects two off the first ball. He gets Buttler on strike with a single next ball. Buttler slams the third ball over long-on for six and brings up the team 50. Make that 12 in 2 as he slams the next one for six as well. He ends the over with a four. 19 from the over.
RR 42/0 in 4 overs: Glenn Maxwell into the attack. Five runs from Maxwell's first.
RR 37/0 in 3 overs: Siraj continues. Jaiswal on strike. Dot and a single to start the over. Good from Siraj so far. Just 1 off the first three balls. Buttler drives on the up and collects four off the fourth ball. Siraj getting hammered. Now, Buttler collects four off an inside edge. RR are flying. Buttler ends the over with a maximum.
RR 22/0 in 2 overs: Josh Hazlewood to share the new ball. Buttler on strike. Josh starts with a dot. Buttler drives the next ball for four. Six runs from Josh's first over.
RR 16/0 in 1 over: Out come Buttler and Jaiswal. Jaiswal to take strike. Siraj with the new ball. RCB need him to bowl a good opening spell. Siraj starts with a dot ball. Another dot later, Jaiswal swivels and pulls the third ball for six. He hits the next ball for four. Positive start for RR. Jaiswal ends the over with a six. 16 off the first.
- START OF CHASE -
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE 157/8 IN 20 OVERS
On a day when the famed spin duo of Rajasthan Royals - Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin - picked just one wicket between them, the fast bowlers stepped up to the plate to scalp seven wickets. Prasidh Krishna (three for 22) and Obed McCoy (three for 23) were particularly impressive at the death, conceding just 18 runs in the last three overs and picking four wickets as RCB underwent a late-overs meltdown with the bat. Rajat Patidar was the lone bright spot in the innings, following up his sizzling hundred in the previous game with 42-ball 58 after Virat Kohli fell in the second over of the match for 7 off 8.
RCB 157/8 in 20 overs: Bowled! McCoy cleans up Harshal first ball of the over. He shuffles across to scoop this and is cramped as it is a yorker on off-stump. Harshal Patel b Obed McCoy 1(2b). Slow outside off and Hazlewood misses prodding at it. Dot ball. Single next ball with a push to point. Swing and a miss outside off. Pace off again doing the trick. Low full toss and Shahbaz sweeps to deep mid-wicket but they don't run. Slapped to deep extra cover and they hare for a couple.
RCB 154/7 in 19 overs: OUT! Slower one and DK miscues this hit straight to Parag at long-on. Dinesh Karthik c Riyan Parag b Prasidh Krishna 6(7b).OUT! Hasaranga is bowled first ball with a fast yorker and two in two for Prasidh. Wanindu Hasaranga b Prasidh Krishna 0(1b). Hat-trick ball is a straight full toss on the stumps and Harshal pushes it on the off for a single. Bouncer to Shahbaz and wide called for height. Slower one again, and Shahbaz pushes it back to the bowler. This was under 100 kmph. SIX! Shahbaz clears the long-on rope. Slower one dug into the pitch and six runs over long-on. 150 up in 18.5 overs.
RCB 146/5 in 18 overs: McCoy comes back. Lomror caresses a short one through covers for a single. One more for Karthik next ball. Lomror shuffles across the stumps to lap this behind but misses this by quite a margin. OUT! Slower and short of a length and Lomror gets a top edge straight to backward point as he looks to slash this over the infield. Mahipal Lomror c Ravichandran Ashwin b Obed McCoy 8(10b). Shahbaz comes in. Wide outside off this one. FOUR! Short of a length outside off and cut away through covers for a boundary. Beaten! Slower one outside off and Shahbaz misses trying to pull.
RCB 139/4 in 17 overs: Chahal will bowl out now. Lomror starts off by sweeping to short fine leg for one. Chahal to DK. He sweeps to deep square leg for a couple as Boult's sharp work in the deep saves a boundary. Tosses up on middle and leg and Lomror whips it away for a single. DK looks to make room outside off but then settles back into his original position to collect a single at long-on with a drive. Single and two runs to end the over.
RCB 132/4 in 16 overs: Ashwin bowls out. Lomror collects a single off the first ball. SIX! Full on the leg and Patidar smashes this over mid-wicket for a maximum. OUT! And gone! Buttler tips toes at long-off and Patidar has to go. Length outside off but Patidar doesn't pack enough power behind this slap down the ground. Rajat Patidar c Jos Buttler b Ravichandran Ashwin 58(42b 4x4 3x6). DK is in next. Ashwin continues with a slower one outside off and DK dabs it to short third for a dot ball. He is off the mark next ball with a single. Lomror presses forward to defend and takes a single off an outside edge. Ashwin ends with 4-0-31-1.
RCB 123/3 in 15 overs: Chahal will look to made amends here. 26 runs off his first two overs. Lomror comes in. Dot and single to start the over. Lomror is off the mark with a single - flicking through mid-wicket. Legbreak spinning too wide outside off and wide ball called. Next one is going down leg and another wide. Patidar comes down the track and whacks this to long-on for just one. Tossed up on leg-stump and Lomror sweeps behind square for a single. SIX! Fifty for Patidar. Length ball outside off and Patidar gets on top of the bounce to haul this over the long-off fence. Brings up his fifty off 40 balls.
RCB 111/3 in 14 overs: Maxwell carves this behind point for three runs and Hetmyer just pulls it back in time at the boundary. Boult bowls out. Single for Patidar next ball. Full just outside off and Maxwell drilled straight to mid-off. Slower one and Maxwell is deceived as he goes for the switch-hit and misses. Beaten again! Short of a length on the stumps and Maxwell swings and misses after making room outside off. OUT! Short on leg, Maxwell gets it off the toe end of the bat trying to pull and McCoy takes a stunner diving forward at fine-leg to send the dangerman back. Glenn Maxwell c Obed McCoy b Trent Boult 24(13b 1x4 2x6).
RCB 107/2 in 13 overs: Single for Patidar first ball as Chahal comes in for his second over. SIX! Short and straight and Maxwell pulls this just over the rope at deep mid-wicket, just out of reach of Shimron Hetmyer. Two singles and wide outside off to follow. FOUR! Maxwell goes for the switch-hit and gets it high off the bat but the connection is enough to take it to the boundary behind. Punched off the backfoot to long-on and Maxwell keeps strike wit a single.
RCB 92/2 in 12 overs: Ashwin into his third over. SIX! Maxwell cuts loose early. Carrom ball tossed up outside off and Maxwell hammers this down the ground for half a dozen. Pushed off the backfoot to long-on for a single. Tucked off his pads by Patidar for one more. Fullish and straight, slower one, and Maxwell flicks for one more. Punched off the backfoot by Patidar for a single at deep point.
RCB 81/2 in 11 overs: FOUR! McCoy angles this across outside off, Patidar gets a thick outside edge trying to go over covers and this runs away past short third man for four runs. Swing and a miss by du Plessis outside off. Beaten by the lack of pace. OUT! Outside edge by du Plessis slashing over extra cover and Ashwin takes a good one at short third. Faf du Plessis c Ravichandran Ashwin b Obed McCoy 25(27b 3x4). Maxwell comes in and has to negotiate a short and slow one first ball. Keeps it away by taking his eyes off the bal. Single to end the over as Patidar flicks a slower full toss for one.
RCB 74/1 in 10 overs: Ashwin continues. A couple for runs for Patidar off the first ball. Cut away straight to point this time. Patidar misses the sweep and Ashwin appeals for LBW desperately. Turned down and Samson reviews this. Impact is outside and RR has lost this review. Not the best use of DRS in hindsight. A couple of singles more. Patidar swings across the line, a mishit, and falls in vacant deep mid-wicket area for a single.
RCB 69/1 in 9 overs: Chahal from the other end. He tosses it up outside off and gets away as the batters only collect a single. SIX! Tossed up on middle and Patidar strides forward to the pitch of this and hammer it over long-on. Two singles afte as Chahal goes flatter through the air. Length ball, not short enough to be pulled and Patidar gets only a single at long-on. Time Out!
RCB 58/1 in 8 overs: Ashwin into the attack. Length ball turning in and du Plessis pushes off the backfoot for one. A couple of singles more as Ashwin keeps it on a length. Wide ball going down leg side and one extra. Du Plessis is beaten outside off heaving wildy. One more to end the over. Six runs from the over.
RCB 52/1 in 7 overs: McCoy into the attack. Great effort by Chahal at deep point and saves a boundary. This is pierced through the off-side off a fullish delivery outside off. Slower one, on a length on leg-stump and du Plessis pushes this point for one and 50 runs up for RCB in 6.4 overs. Length ball angling across outside off and driven by Patidar for a single at mid-off. Flicked off the pads for one more.
RCB 46/1 in 6 overs: Prasidh continues. Short and wide outside off and one bouncer called for the over. Patidar misses out despite getting high on his toes to have a crack at it. Next one angles into him from a length and he flicks it to mid-wicket for one. FOUR! Length ball, or maybe just short of it and slapped by Patidar through covers for four runs. FOUR! Delectable shot by Patidar. Short of a length again and Patidar hops and drives it between point and cover. Dropped! Cut straight to backward point by Patidar and Parag has dropped a sitter.
RCB 37/1 in 5 overs: Third one for Boult inside the PowerPlay. du Plesiss pierces this full one between cover and point for one. Patidar takes one more with a dab to third man as Boult drags his length back a touch. Full on the pads and du Plessis clips this behind square leg for a couple more. FOUR! This is a loose one that is going down leg and du Plessis flicks this past the keeper for a boundary. It came off the gloves. FOUR! Boundary to end the over.
RCB 25/1 in 4 overs: FOUR! Short outside off and Patidar uppercuts this to the third-man fence. A gully comes in place next ball. FOUR-BYES! This is a vicious one that comes in sharply from a short of a length and events both batter and keeper to run away for four-byes. Good end to the over after that loose first ball.
RCB 17/1 in 3 overs: Boult attacks the stumps straight away on a length and du Plessis defends it back to the bowler with the full face of the bat. Inside edge on this length delivery onto his pads and Patidar could have been run out at the non-striker's after he backed up for the single. Full and outside off this one and driven to extra cover. FOUR! Full, wider outside off and this is flayed over covers by du Plessis for four runs. Another fullish delivery and driven to mid-off.
RCB 13/1 in 2 overs: Prasidh from the other end. Angling in from off-stump, Faf is late on the flick and thuds into his pads. Going down leg this one. Length ball on middle and Faf tucks it behind square for one. Wide outside off, on a length and Kohli shoulders arms. OUT! Hard length just outside off, jagging away and Kohli edges this to Samson poking at it. Virat Kohli c Sanju Samson b Prasidh Krishna 7(8b 1x6). FOUR! Drifting on the pads and Patidar flicks his first ball to the boundary behind.
RCB 8/0 in 1 over: Kohli and du Plessis make their way to the middle to get the RCB innings underway. Trent Boult has the new ball. Boult comes over the wicket. Angling across outside off on a length and Kohli leaves it. Pitch invader comes in after the first ball. Kohli is off the mark with a gentle flick to backward square leg for one. Boult runs in to Faf, who backs out. Angling down leg and clipped behind by Faf for one more. That was close! Comes into Kohli just a bit from a length and Kohli hides his bat and lets it go. SIX! Full on the pads and Kohli steps out a touch and flicks this over square leg with his back leg in the air. What a shot!
RCB VS RR PLAYING XI
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c) (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Obed McCoy, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj.
TOSS: Rajasthan Royals wins the toss and elects to bowl. Samson would have breathed a sigh of relief after winning just his third toss this season in 16 games. No changes for RR. Faf du Plessis says he would have batted first anyway so both teams are happy and unchanged from their previous games.
PITCH REPORT: The boundaries 74m, 67m square of the wicket, and the straight boundary is 77m. A very hot day in Ahmedabad. Not too many cracks on the surface and it looks good for batting, says Matthew Hayden.
Here is quick look at RCB in IPL playoffs over the years. With three finals and eight playoff appearances across 15 editions, Royal Challengers will hope to go all the way this year. A record of six wins from 14 playoff games is something it will surely want to improve on. The last time RCB and RR met in a playoff match was in 2015, when Royal Challengers got the better of Royals by 71 runs in the Eliminator. Will it be final number four for Bangalore?
MATCH PREVIEW
Since the inception of the Indian Premier League, the Royal Challengers Bangalore fans have been waiting to bring the trophy home.
In 2011 and 2016, when the team reached the final, the fans were confident of breaking the title jinx. However, the team ended up finishing runner-up on both occasions. But this time around, millions of RCB fans are dreaming again.
After making it to the playoffs, the Faf du Plessis-led side rode on Rajat Patidar’s unbeaten century and bowling efforts by Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel to defeat Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator at Eden Gardens on Thursday. And as the team takes on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium for the second qualifier on Friday, it has fuelled expectations for a long-awaited trophy.
While RCB looks to ride the momentum, it won’t be easy. This being the first fixture of the tournament in Ahmedabad, with the wicket untested and with very little time to train, both the sides may find it challenging to gauge the surface. And with a level playing field, the contest gets even more exciting.
Rajasthan Royals has a formidable batting unit, with Jos Buttler and captain Sanju Samson leading the pack. After failing to defend a 180-plus total against Gujarat Titans in the first qualifier, the team will be eager to regroup quickly.
After a series of poor outings, Buttler initially struggled to get going against Titans, and took quite a bit of time before hitting a few big shots and reaching his half-century. But in a do-or-die game, the team needs to ensure that Buttler regains his touch.
While the middle-order is heavily reliant on the big-hitting abilities of Shimron Hetmyer, captain Sanju, too, needs to convert the 30s and 40s into a substantial knock. And the cricket fans will be gearing up to see how Sanju tackles RCB’s Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.
In the first qualifier, the Royals’ star-studded bowling unit struggled, with R. Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal going wicketless. Even the seasoned Prasidh Krishna looked off-colour as he failed to defend 16 runs in the final over. So, it will be a challenge for the Royals team management to ensure that the bowling department is not overwhelmed by the RCB batting firepower.
Brimming with confidence
The team from Bengaluru, obviously, is brimming with confidence after a convincing win against Super Giants, and the team will once again expect Patidar to come good. After going unsold in the auction, the Madhya Pradesh batter played the innings of his career at Eden Gardens as he tore into Lucknow’s bowlers.
But as the temperature soars in Ahmedabad, the RCB side needs to be cautious and ensure that complacency does not creep in.
The batting department will revolve around captain Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli, while Dinesh Karthik will once again need to anchor the middle-order, along with the seasoned Glenn Maxwell. The team is likely to stick to the winning combination and ensure that there are no slip-ups. Over the last couple of seasons, RCB’s campaign ended in the playoffs, but now, there’s hope.
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