The RCB secured their fourth consecutive triumph to stay competitive in the 2024 IPL playoff race. Led by Faf du Plessis they clinched a commanding 60 run win over the PBKS in Dharamshala on Thursday May 9.
RCB scored a magnificent 241-7 after being called into bat first by PBKS captain Sam Curran. Virat Kohli led from the front with a superb 92, and Rajat Patidar and Cameron Green added fast runs toward the conclusion. This was the venue’s highest score for the shortest format.
Jonny Bairstow and Rille Rossouw helped PBKS get off to a good start in the pursuit. However, the steep required rate took its toll as they began to lose wickets at regular intervals, scoring only 181 runs before being all out. The loss officially removes PBKS from the playoff competition.
Fans reacted to RCB still being in contention after losing seven of their first eight games this season. Here are some reactions on Twitter:
“This RCB with nothing to lose mindset is more dangerous than CSK MI and SRH combined,” one fan remarked
“973 would’ve actually been within reach if RCB had qualified,” one tweet read
“4 consecutive wins feels so weird as an rcb fan, hardly been there,” another tweet read
“The boys have shown character to turn it around” – RCB skipper Faf du Plessis
RCB’s winning run started with a victory over their southern rivals, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). They then accomplished the double over the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS). They had won the reverse fixture in Bengaluru earlier this season.
” Yeah it was a really good game. Scoring 240 after losing the toss. The method and the aggression is really good to see. We have had some conversations as we felt we were making the same mistakes over and over again. The aggression with the bat was something we wanted to change. You can’t just play normal T20 cricket these days.”
Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis added:
“We spoke about how to get more wickets in the powerplay. We challenged a few members. We went to different resources which have worked pretty well. I think you understand that you need some form. The way we started, we have a few guys were looking for runs. You need guys with character to turn it around.”
Faf du Plessis
RCB’s next game is against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday, May 12 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.