Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stars Virat Kohli, skipper Faf Du Plessis and wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik reflected on ups-and-downs, but an inspirational and memorable IPL season following their loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the eliminator on Wednesday.
After a terrible first half and a winning run of six games, RCB’s incredible journey eventually came to an end on Wednesday as they lost to RR by four wickets in the eliminator at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. After winning just one of their first eight games, RCB was on the verge of elimination. However, they responded with six straight victories, including a virtual knockout of the defending champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK), to secure the final playoff spot based on net-run-rate. It was a memorable season for RCB. Nevertheless, with the defeat to RR, the 17-year-old’s protracted trophy wait continues. However, the team has received a lot of praise from supporters and analysts for their performance this season.
In a video posted by RCB’s official X handle, Virat said that the first half of the season was an under-par performance from the franchise and they were not able to live up to their standards as cricketers. But he will cherish and remember the way his team bounced back from adversity.
“To be really honest, the first half of the season was a really under-par performance from us. The standards that we have as cricketers, we were not able to live up to them. Then we started expressing ourselves, played for our own self-respect. Our confidence came back. The way 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,” he said.
Unfortunately, sport is not a fairytale and our remarkable run in #IPL2024 came to an end. Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Dinesh Karthik express their emotions and thank fans for their unwavering support. ❤️#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB pic.twitter.com/FYygVD3UiC
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 23, 2024
He also thanked the fans for supporting the team and turning up in huge numbers all over India.
Skipper Faf said that the last six games were special for the way RCB turned things around but in the eliminator, they fell short by around 15 runs.
“The first innings was tricky, the ball was moving around and it was a bit slow,” he said.
Reflecting on the fan’s support even though the team was down and out halfway through the season, Faf said, “We were down halfway through the season. But still the fans, every match, every stadium. We could hear the chants. Once we got that momentum, we ran with it. We are extremely grateful for it. Sad we cannot reach the finals. But from where we were and where we finished, I am really proud of the boys.”
Dinesh, who is probably playing in his final IPL season, summed up the team’s season by saying that they felt like they may win the trophy this year because of how they turned things around, but the eliminator was the “hard day” that loomed large over them. He added that it was easier to bat after the second innings when the dew arrived.
“With sports, there is no fairytale ending. There is always a hard day when things do not go your way. It was that day. As it is in the evening games, dew came and it became easy to bat on. But still, we should be proud of the fight we put up. That is all we can ask for. Attitude matters. The belief in wanting to do something special matters. On both counts, RCB had a really special season. A season where a lot of people will look at and say ‘Wow, good effort’. We are proud of ourselves and I also hope fans are also proud of us for what we have done this year,” said Dinesh.
Coming to the match, RR won the toss and elected to bowl first. Almost every RCB batter got a start, but they could not convert them into a big knock. Rajat Patidar (34 in 22 balls, with two fours and two sixes), Virat Kohli (33 in 24 balls, with three fours and a six) and Mahipal Lomror (32 in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) emerged as top-scorers, restricting RCB to 172/8 in their 20 overs.
Avesh Khan (3/44) was the top bowler for RR. Ravichandran Ashwin (2/19) and Trent Boult (1/16) also did a fine job in putting brakes on the RCB run rate.
In the run-chase, the Royals’ got off to a fine start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (45 in 30 balls, with eight fours) and Tom Kohler Cadmore (20 in 15 balls, with four boundaries) putting on a 46-run stand. From then on, RCB bowlers applied some pressure on Rajasthan, restricting the run-flow and getting some wickets. RR was restricted to 112/4 in 13.1 overs. However, Riyan Parag (36 in 26 balls, with two fours and two sixes) held one end before he was dismissed while Shimron Hetmyer (26 in 14 balls, with three fours and a six) and Rovman Powell (16* in eight balls, with two fours and a six) attacked RCB in the last few overs to get a four-wicket win with an over left.
Mohammed Siraj (2/33) was the top bowler for RCB.
Ashwin took home the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
Now, RR will meet Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in qualifier two on May 24 in Chennai to decide who plays Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final on May 26.