Rajat Patidar’s attacking fifty and inspired bowling sealed Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s fifth successive win as they beat Delhi Capitals by 47 runs on Sunday and improved their IPL playoff hopes.
Bengaluru posted 187-9 after Cameron Green hit an unbeaten 24-ball 32 in a superb all-round performance, and the bowlers bowled Delhi out for 140 in 19.1 overs at the home M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
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Green shines to keep playoff hopes alive | 01:25
Bengaluru, who have moved up to fifth, have made a late dash to qualify for the play-offs but will need to win their final league game and other results to secure a place in the top four.
Delhi slipped to sixth place and entered the final match with 12 points. Bengaluru also has 12 points from 13 games but boasts a better scoring rate.
“awesome. We had a good game and I’m really happy. It’s just confidence,” Bengaluru skipper Faf du Plessis said.
“Things weren’t coming together in the first half of the season, but from a batting perspective and a bowling perspective we’ve been able to put everything together now.”
In the first match of the day, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad led holders Chennai Super Kings to a five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals to boost their play-off hopes.
However, a bizarre incident occurred as India star Ravindra Jadeja became the third player in IPL history to be dismissed for “obstruction on the field”.
Jadeja was sent back by Gaikwad while attempting his second run and he was diverted from the pitch when wicketkeeper Sanju Samson’s throw hit his hand and the third umpire ruled him out after an appeal from the opposition.
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This is after Yusuf Pathan (2013) and Amit Mishra (2019) were dismissed in the same manner in the IPL.
Gaikwad kept his composure and put up an unbeaten 24-run stand with impact substitute Sameer Rizvi, who reached the winning boundary.
Chennai recorded 7 wins in 13 games, rising to 14 points and 3rd place. Rajasthan remains second in the 10-team table, led by Kolkata Knight Riders, who are already the only team to qualify for the next stage.
The top four teams will advance to the playoffs with the finals held in Chennai on May 26.
In the second match, star batsman Virat Kohli took charge after smashing 27 off 13 balls and laying the foundations of Bengaluru’s total in a match where Delhi missed suspended skipper Rishabh Pant for slow over-attacking.
Kohli remains the leading batsman this season, scoring 661 runs, including one century and 5½ tons.
Patidar, who hit 52, soon dominated the 88-run stand with England batsman Will Jacks, who hit 41, before a late charge from Green.
Delhi failed to chase after losing David Warner to left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh’s one-off.
Left-arm quick Yash Dayal brought down Abishek Porel and then drove Jake Fraser-McGurk off successive balls and soon Delhi were slipping to 30-4.
Stand-in skipper Axar Patel fought on with 57 off 39 balls but fell to Dayal in the 16th over and the wheels were taken off the chase.
Australia’s Green added to his batting cameo by taking the wicket, beating Tristan Stubbs, and was named player of the match for the first time this season.
“When you run out of key players and lose four on the power play, you’re chasing the game,” Patel said.
“Anything can happen (in the playoff race), but we’ve never thought that far ahead.”
Titans duo presents massive opening stand | 01:01
