Royal Challengers Bengaluru are alive in this season of Tata IPL 2024. Jumping to number 7 in the IPL Points Table, Faf Du Plessis & co clinched a stunning victory against Gujarat Titans match 52 on Saturday. Characterised by two distinct halves, the match saw RCB’s total domination at M Chinnaswamy Stadium as well as abject collapse during the chase.
The opening pair of Faf du Plessis (64 off 23 balls) and Virat Kohli (42 off 27 balls) set the stage with a record-breaking 92-run powerplay. This was the highest powerplay score for RCB in the history of IPL. However, RCB’s middle order faced a sudden collapse, tumbling to 117/6 from a commanding position.
In his IPL debut, Josh Little emerged as GT’s standout performer, claiming crucial figures of 4/45, while Noor Ahmad also made impactful contributions with key wickets. These two took the winds out of RCB’s sail as the home side stared at defeat. Enter Dinesh Karthik (21* off 12 balls) and Swapnil Singh (15* off 9 balls). Their seventh wicket partnership calmly steered RCB to victory with 38 balls to spare.
While this third win in a row has provided a significant boost for RCB’s campaign in IPL 17, there are concerns over their middle-order performance. Nonetheless, their display of batting prowess and composure under pressure was commendable, leaving GT with their heads held high after a hard-fought contest.
Winning the toss and elected to bowl first, RCB’s seamers destroyed GT’s batting lineup and the visitors were restricted to a paltry score of 147 all out. With this loss, GT have been pushed back to number 9 in the IPL points table