NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru revived their faint playoff aspirations in the Indian Premier League with a gripping four-wicket triumph over Gujarat Titans in a nail-biting encounter on Saturday.
Bengaluru's pace battery delivered a stellar performance after Gujarat was asked to bat first, restricting them to a modest total of 147 runs in 19.3 overs.
Faf du Plessis, leading from the front, blazed his way to 64 off just 23 deliveries, guiding the hosts to victory with ease as they reached 152-6 in a mere 13.4 overs.
Virat Kohli
contributed 42 runs from 27 balls, forming a formidable opening partnership of 92 runs alongside du Plessis in just 5.5 overs.
IPL 2024 Points table:
This crucial win lifted Bengaluru from the bottom of the points table, securing their fourth victory in 11 matches and propelling them to the seventh position with eight points, edging past Punjab Kings on net run-rate. While their
playoff hopes
remain a mathematical possibility, Bengaluru has shown resilience in keeping their campaign alive.
On the other hand, Gujarat Titans suffered their third consecutive defeat, slipping to the ninth spot in the 10-team table. With also eight points to their name, they too harbour hopes of playoff qualification despite the recent setbacks.
IPL 2024 Orange Cap:
Virat Kohli showcased his aggressive flair, smashing a rapid 42 runs. Despite prior scrutiny over his strike rate, Kohli responded emphatically with four sixes, batting at an impressive 155.56. Kohli's commanding innings saw him reclaim the IPL 2024 Orange Cap.
Meanwhile, CSK's captain
Ruturaj Gaikwad
exhibited his class with a resilient 62 off 48 balls, further solidifying his position in the race for the orange cap with a total of 509 runs in 10 innings. Despite a modest contribution of 6 runs against RCB, Sai Sudarshan remained in contention, sitting third with 424 runs in 11 innings, backed by his previous half-century knock.
Riyan Parag of Rajasthan Royals secured the fourth spot with 409 runs in 10 innings, while KL Rahul's recent knock of 28 runs propelled him to the fifth position in the IPL 2024 Orange Cap race, surpassing the coveted 400-run milestone for the season with a total of 406 runs in 10 innings.
IPL 2024 Purple Cap:
In the recent IPL matches, Mohammed Siraj displayed his prowess by dismissing Wriddhiman Saha for 1 run and Shubman Gill for 2 runs in successive overs. Siraj concluded with figures of 2-29 in four overs, while his fellow pacers Yash Dayal and Vijaykumar Vyashak also contributed with a couple of wickets each, limiting GT to 147 runs.
Meanwhile,
Jasprit Bumrah
took the lead in the Purple Cap race after his outstanding performance against Kolkata Knight Riders, where he claimed figures of 3/18 in 3.5 overs, aiding in KKR's dismissal for 169 runs. Natarajan remains strong in the second position of the IPL 2024 Purple Cap race with 15 wickets in 8 matches.
Mustafizur Rahman and Harshal Patel occupy the third and fourth positions respectively, with 14 wickets each. Sunil Narine's significant two-wicket haul in the KKR vs. MI match propelled him to fifth place in the IPL 2024 Purple Cap race.
(Inputs from Agencies)
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