SPORTS RR ALIVE AFTER ENDING RCB’S CAMPAIGN

Royal Challengers Bangalore fail to qualify for the play-offs.

lin shared the rest of the four scalps between them.

Barring AB de Villiers (53 from 35 balls; 4x7) and Parthiv Patel (33 from 21; 4x3, 6x2), none of the visiting batsmen could offer any resistance to the disciplined Rajasthan bowling as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals.

While Gowtham started the onslaught with the wicket of skipper Kohli (4) in the third over, Gopal accounted for the scalps of Parthiv, de Villiers, Moeen Ali (1) and Mandeep Singh (3) in quick succession.

Earlier, pacer Umesh Yadav starred with three wickets to peg back the hosts, who rode on opener Tripathi’s unbeaten 58-ball 80, laced with five fours and three sixes, and cameos from skipper Ajinkya Rahane (33 from 31 balls; 4x3) and Heinrich Klassen ( 32 from 21; 4x3, 6x1) to put a healthy 164/5 in their 20 overs.

Electing to bat after winning the toss, Rajasthan’s experiment to open with Jofra Archer backfired as the 23-year-old was dismissed for a duck by Umesh before Rahane and Tripathi resurrected the innings with a 99-run second wicket stand.

Umesh, however returned to break the partnership with the key wicket of Rahane before getting rid of rookie Sanju Samson (0) immediately.

Despite losing his partners, Tripathi continued his brilliant form with the willow and finally managed to convert his starts to a maiden fifty, and together with Klassen raised 48 runs for the fourth wicket before being separated by Mohammed Siraj in the penultimate over.

Klassen’s wicket brought in Gowtham, who struck two lusty sixes to notch a 5-ball 14, to guide Rajasthan to some sort of respectability. IANS