(Image source from: Outlookindia.com)
Defending titleholders Royal Challengers Bengaluru reached into their second consecutive Indian Premier League final by defeating Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. RCB, who topped the league stage, relied on an explosive performance from captain Rajat Patidar, who scored an impressive 93 not out off 33 balls, alongside a fierce bowling attack that dismantled their rival's top batting order during the powerplay. Upon RCB's advancement to the final, the team's former owner, Vijay Mallya, shared his congratulations on social media. After being put to bat, RCB amassed a formidable total of 254 for five, with Patidar delivering one of the most powerful innings of the season, effortlessly hitting boundaries after getting some early chances to continue his innings. The RCB leader aggressively targeted the GT bowlers in the final overs, helping his team surpass the 250-run milestone impressively.
Patidar completely changed the match by hitting nine sixes and five fours, having initially survived two dropped catches, as RCB scored 86 runs in the last five overs, taking total control of the game. They even managed to score 114 runs in the final six overs. "Many Many congratulations to RCB namma dodda Simhagulu for an emphatic victory in Dharamshala tonight. You roared loud like the Lions of Bengaluru and roared into the IPL final as defending champions," Vijay Mallya stated on X (formerly Twitter). While chasing a huge target, Gujarat Titans needed a strong start, but their plans fell apart during the powerplay when both of their top openers got out quickly. Sai Sudharsan got out in a surprising way when his bat slipped while he was trying to hit a shot off Jacob Duffy (3/39), and the bat hit the stumps, leaving him surprised at just 14 runs.
GT faced an even bigger blow soon after when captain Shubman Gill was bowled out by the in-form Bhuvneshwar Kumar for only two runs, with the experienced bowler showcasing his skill with the new ball once again. Bhuvneshwar (2/28) proved he's still valuable to any side and is now the Purple Cap holder with 26 wickets. These two early losses put Gujarat firmly on the defensive against a motivated RCB bowling lineup. Josh Hazlewood (1/39) then took his turn by bowling out Jos Buttler (29), while Rasikh Salam struck twice in the last over of the powerplay, getting rid of Nishant Sandhu (5) and Jason Holder (0), leaving the Titans struggling at 51 for five. What started as an even contest quickly became one-sided, as a desperate GT seemed to falter under the pressure of the scoreboard. Washington Sundar (8) and impact player Rahul Tewatiya (68) faced a tough task ahead. The game had already become a mere formality given the overwhelming challenge GT faced.
