Guwahati: After securing two consecutive victories, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were considered strong contenders for the title. However, they faced a setback against the Rajasthan Royals, who clinched the match at Barsapara Cricket Stadium with 12 balls to spare, thanks to impressive performances by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel.
Rajasthan, chasing a target of 202 runs, entered the match under pressure, particularly with Josh Hazlewood’s return to RCB. Yet, Sooryavanshi had other ideas, launching an aggressive assault on the bowling attack with a rapid 15-ball half-century. He continued his onslaught, ultimately scoring 78 runs off just 26 deliveries.
While Sooryavanshi caused chaos among the RCB bowlers, Jurel steadily contributed to the run chase. After Sooryavanshi’s departure, which coincided with the fall of two more wickets—Shimron Hetmyer for a golden duck and Riyan Parag for three runs—Jurel maintained composure. He completed his half-century in 25 balls and remained unbeaten to lead his team to victory.
In the first innings, RCB experienced early trouble as Phil Salt went out for a golden duck. Despite losing Devdutt Padikkal (14 runs) and Virat Kohli (32 runs) shortly after, captain Rajat Patidar stepped in, scoring 63 runs off 40 balls. His effort helped RCB reach a total of 201 runs, a significant achievement after a difficult start. Additionally, Venkatesh Iyer contributed a crucial unbeaten 29 runs off 15 balls. Ultimately, RCB’s total was overshadowed by the explosive batting from Sooryavanshi and Jurel, who delivered outstanding performances in the chase.
