BRITISH RAJ
Buttler’s vintage unbeaten knock of 106 helps Rajasthan beat RCB and reach final against Gujarat Titans
Rajasthan Royals made short work of Royal Challengers Bangalore to romp into the final of the Indian Premier League where it will meet Gujarat Titans on Sunday. Set to chase 158, Rajasthan reached there with 11 balls to spare and seven wickets in hand in Qualifier 2.
Jos Buttler continued his run-scoring spree scoring an unbeaten 106 (60b, 10x4, 6x6). This is his fourth hundred this season in addition to scoring four half-centuries. He finished off the proceedings with a towering six off Harshal Patel. Buttler received a reprieve when Bangalore wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik dropped a sitter off Patel. In the company of Yashasvi Jaiswal who scored 21 (13b, 1x4, 2x6), Buttler got off the blocks quickly treating the Bangalore bowlers with utter disdain. Once Jaiswal got out, skipper Sanju Samson strode out and batted with an aggressive intent hitting two sixes and was looking good for more before he was foxed by Wanindu Hasaranga for 23 (21b, 1x4, 2x6). During the course of his match-winning knock, Buttler also went past the 800run mark in this season’s IPL. In the 16th over, the 31-year-old smote two sixes off Hasaranga to take his team closer to the target.
Earlier, Rajasthan pacer Prasidh Krishna came back strongly from the hammering he received in the last game to restrict Bangalore to 157 for eight.
Rajat Patidar extended his stellar run in the IPL with a 42-ball 58 but his effort was the lone bright spot of the Bangalore innings as the other batters struggled on a pitch that offered extra bounce to the pacers.
Rajasthan gained the upper hand by taking five wickets in the last five overs that went for only 34 runs.
After smashing a sensational hundred in the Eliminator, Patidar played with supreme confidence after high-profile openers Virat Kohli (7) and Faf fu Plessis (25) failed to come up with impactful knocks.
Rajasthan Royals pace duo of Trent Boult (1/28) and Krishna (3/22) were impressive throughout the innings.
While Boult got his inswingers going in the powerplay, Krishna, who had a horror night against Gujarat Titans in the Qualifier 1, got the ball to rise sharply from good length.
Royal Challengers Bangalore 157/8 in 20 overs (R Patidar 58, Prasidh Krishna 3/22, O McCoy 3/23) lost to Rajasthan Royals 161/3 in 18.1 overs (J Buttler 106*)