Royals produce late heroics to prolong Challengers' drought
Title hopes stretched to next season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru after Rajasthan Royals pulled off a nail-biting four wicket win in Monday's eliminator. The victory keeps Royals' dreams alive of winning their second IPL crown.
Challengers posted a decent 172 thanks touseful contributions from the likes of Patidar, Kohli and Lomror. However, it wasn't enough as Royals overcame some shaky moments to chase it down with a ball to spare through Rovman Powell's match-winning hit.
Early strikes from Ashwin and Boult had restricted the Royal Challengers after they opted to bat. The duo's miserly spells played a key role, conceding just 35 runs combined from their eight overs.
Royals seemed cruising to the target despite losing Yashasvi early on. But Samson and Jurel's dismissals swung the match in the favor of the Royal Challengers. Some clinical fielding and bowling kept them in the hunt.
However, cool heads of Hetmyer and Parag ensured Royals stayed ahead of the asking rate. Although a late flurry of wickets raised tensions, Powell had the final say by sending the winning runs sailing over the ropes.
Royals celebrations knew no bounds as qualifying for the eliminator keeps their title defence hopes burning. For Kohli's Challengers, another year goes by without laying hands on the coveted trophy despite coming so close.
