Rajasthan Royals ended Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s eventful campaign in the Indian Premier League with a four-wicket win in the Eliminator on Wednesday. Sent into bat, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) scored 172/8. In reply, Rajasthan Royals (RR) chased down the target of 173 with six balls to spare.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag shine as RR defeat RCB in IPL eliminator

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal struck a 30-ball 45, while Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with quick-fire contributions of 36 and 26, respectively. Earlier, Rajat Patidar top-scored for RCB with 34 off 22 balls. In-form opener Virat Kohli made 33 off 24 balls before falling to wily leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, while Mahipal Lomror scored a brisk 17-ball 32. Senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bowled beautifully, finishing with excellent figures of 2/19 in four overs, taking the wickets of Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell off successive balls. Avesh Khan took 3/44 in his four overs.

The match started with Rajasthan Royals winning the toss and opting to bowl first. RCB lost its first wicket when Faf Du Plessis was caught by Powell off Trent Boult for 17 runs. RCB reached 50 runs in six overs at the end of the powerplay.

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Virat Kohli became the first batsman to score 8000 runs in IPL history before being dismissed for 33 by Chahal, leaving RCB at 56/2. Patidar was dropped by Jurel on 6, and RCB stood at 82/2 after 11 overs. Ashwin then took a crucial breakthrough, dismissing Cameron Green for 27, caught by Powell, and Glenn Maxwell for a duck on the very next ball, leaving RCB at 97/4.

Patidar fell for 34 to Avesh Khan, taking RCB to 122/5. Dinesh Karthik was caught by Jaiswal off Avesh Khan for 11, making it 154/6. Lomror’s quick 32 off 17 balls ended with his dismissal by Avesh Khan, and RCB finished their innings at 172/8.

Rajasthan Royals started their chase with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tom Kohler-Cadmore. RCB dropped two catches in the first five overs. Kohler-Cadmore was dismissed for 20 by Ferguson, leaving RR at 47/1 after six overs at the end of the powerplay. Cameron Green got Jaiswal out for 45, and Karn Sharma stumped Sanju Samson for 17, making it 86/3. Dhruv Jurel was run out by Virat Kohli for 8, leaving RR at 112/4. Parag then hit two sixes and a four off Green’s over, bringing momentum back to RR.

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Mohammed Siraj bowled a perfect yorker to dismiss Riyan Parag for 36, making it 157/5. Siraj took his second wicket of the over, dismissing Hetmyer for 26, caught by Du Plessis, leaving RR at 160/6. Despite these late wickets, RR chased down the target with six balls to spare, securing a four-wicket victory and advancing to the second eliminator.