In the first match of Sunday in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffered a devastating collapse, being bowled out for a meagre 59 runs against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
This abysmal performance marks the third-lowest total in the history of the IPL and the second-lowest for the Rajasthan Royals. Their previous record of lowest score, 58, also came against RCB in 2009. However, the lowest total belongs to RCB itself, who were bundled out for a mere 49 runs against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2017.
The Rajasthan Royals’ innings got off to a disastrous start as they lost five wickets within the powerplay, putting them on the back foot right from the beginning. Wayne Parnell claimed three crucial wickets, while Michael Bracewell and Karn Sharma also picked up two wickets each to dismantle the Royals’ batting order. Amidst the wreckage, only Shimron Hetmyer (35) and Joe Root (10) managed to reach double-digit scores.
Earlier in the match, the Royal Challengers Bangalore set a challenging target for the Royals by posting a competitive score of 171/5 in their allotted 20 overs. Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell delivered stellar performances, both notching impressive half-centuries that laid a solid foundation for the RCB’s innings. Du Plessis played a crucial knock of 55 runs, while Maxwell contributed a brisk 54, followed by an electrifying finish of 11-ball 29 from Anuj Rawat.
With the massive 112-run victory over the Royals, the Royal Challengers Bangalore have surged up the IPL points table, climbing to the fifth position with 12 points from an equal number of matches. This emphatic victory will uplift the spirits of the RCB players and inject new life into their campaign to book a playoff spot.
The Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, will need to depend on other teams in hopes of making it to the playoffs. They have 12 points from one match to play.
