The Indian Premier League 2024 has been quite eventful for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team, as witnessed in the 2020 season. Though they tried their level best to bring about change in the scenario of their cricket streaming series, they made an early exit in the eliminator against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
By any standard of measurement, RCB individuals and supporters will remember the spirit of this team. However, there is no denying that their inspiring performance and tenacity as they came from the loss clearly depicted the essence of the sporting spirit.
An Emotional Rollercoaster for RCB
In a video that the RCB team posted recently, the heartbreaking impact of this defeat is very conspicuous. A few scenes in the clip depict Glenn Maxwell slamming a door in anger, while the other shows Virat Kohli as a lone figure with a disappointed look on his face.
RCB, one of the best-performing teams of the inaugural season of the IPL, became a blotch in the second season, performing disastrously in initial matches but recovering well enough to perform reasonably well in later matches. The initial position was quite adverse on the points table and got a bad opening, but it came from dead last to qualify for the finals for the season.
But to their dismay, the RR team was well prepared and was in no mood to lose the match.
In the playoff match, Chasing chased a target of 172/8 after Bangalore was prompted to bat at Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Concerning the batting department, Rajat Patidar was the most successful batsman with 34 off 22 balls, followed by Virat Kohli, who scored 33 off 24 balls, and Mahipal Lomror, who scored 32 off 17 balls. Although the team seemed to have started really well, none was able to take his score to the heights it deserved.
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All-rounder RR Avesh Khan bowled brilliantly, taking 3 wickets in 44 balls, but that over was overshadowed by the spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who bowled an incredible spell of 2 wickets in 19 balls. Trent Boult supported operations in the field and scalped one wicket for having conceded just 16 runs in his three overs.
In reply, targeting 173, RR initially got off to a good start as Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 45 in 30 balls. RCB bowlers came back strongly and struck whenever they got an opportunity, restricting RR to 112/4 in 13. 1 overs. Riyan Parag pulled up the team with his 36 off 26 balls, and Shimron Hetmyer’s valuable 26 off 14 balls helped the Royals chase down the target in 19 overs with one over to spare.
Reflecting on the Heartbreaking Loss
Following the match, RCB released a video capturing the somber mood in their dressing room. Glenn Maxwell’s frustration was evident, and Virat Kohli was seen quietly reflecting on the loss.
In the video, Kohli spoke about the team’s journey.
“To be really honest, the first half of the season was a really under-par performance from us. With the standards that we have as cricketers, we were not able to live up to them. Then we started expressing ourselves and playing for our own self-respect. Our confidence came back. The way we turned things around and qualified was truly special. It is something I will cherish and remember, because it took a lot of character and heart from the boys.”
Faf du Plessis on Fan Support
Reflecting on the unwavering support from fans, Faf du Plessis said, “We were down halfway through the season. But still, the fans, every match, every stadium—we could hear the chants. Once we had that momentum, we ran with it. We are extremely grateful for it. Unfortunately, we cannot reach the finals. But from where we were and where we finished, I am really proud of the boys.”
Dinesh Karthik, likely playing his last IPL season, shared his thoughts:
“We felt that this could very well be the year we lift the trophy because of the way we turned things around, but the ‘hard day’ that loomed over our heads happened to be the eliminator. Dew came in the second inning, and it became easy to bat. With sports, there is no fairytale ending. There is always a hard day when things do not go your way.”
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