After two back-to-back wins, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were considered one of the favourites to win the tournament. However, Rajasthan Royals handed them a reality check, as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel played some phenomenal cricket at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati and got the job done for the hosts with 12 balls remaining.
Chasing 202 runs, the match was expected to be a tight affair for Rajasthan, especially with Josh Hazlewood returning to the playing XI for RCB, but Sooryavanshi in particular had a different plan. He launched a scathing attack on the visitors, smacking a 15-ball half-century. After reaching the milestone, he kept up the momentum before departing for 78 runs off 26 balls.
During his stay at the crease, Sooryavanshi unleashed havoc, decimating the Rajasthan bowlers, and on the other hand, Dhruv Jurel was quietly keeping up with the momentum. After Sooryavanshi departed, he managed to keep the scoreboard ticking, eventually completing a 25-ball half-century. He also remained till the end to win the game for his franchise.
Notably, Sooryavanshi’s dismissal also invited two more wickets, as Shimron Hetmyer departed for a golden duck, while Riyan Parag made just three. However, Jurel didn’t allow the pressure to settle onto him and, alongside Ravindra Jadeja, finished the game in style.
What happened in the first innings?
Phil Salt departed for a golden duck, but Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal kept going. Not for long, though. Padikkal departed for 14 runs, while Kohli made 32 runs. After the duo departed, Bengaluru were put under pressure as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Nevertheless, captain Rajat Patidar played an outstanding knock, scoring 63 runs off 40 balls. Courtesy of his knock, Bengaluru posted 201 runs on the board, which looked impossible at one stage.
Credit also goes to Venkatesh Iyer. The all-rounder played a brilliant cameo of unbeaten 29 runs off 15 balls. However, at the end of the day, nothing really mattered after Sooryavanshi and Jurel’s charismatic knocks.
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