IPL 2024, RCB vs GT, Key Takeaways: Virat Kohli, Faf Du Plessis' 92-run stand and bowlers help RCB upset Gujarat Titans. RCB move 7th place in points table. Top takeaways for RCB & GT from the match.
Brief Scores: GT 147 (M Shahrukh Khan 37, Mohammed Siraj 2/29) lose to RCB 152/6 (Faf du Plessis 64, Josh Little 4/45) by 4 wickets.
Player of the Match: Mohammed Siraj (2-29 in 4 overs)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) produced a brilliant bowling display to bowl out Gujarat Titans (GT) for 147 and then chased down the target with 4 wickets and 6.2 overs to spare in Match 52 of IPL 2024 at Bengaluru on Saturday. Captain Faf du Plessis led from the front, with a knock of 64 off 23. However, Bengaluru suffered jolts during the chase, losing 6 wickets for 25 runs. Josh Little did the most damage with 4/45. However, it could not stop Bengaluru from running away with the game.
Key Takeaways from RCB vs GT, Match 52, IPL 2024 - Winning team (RCB)
Pacers make the most of the bowling conditions
This was not the usual M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch. It had green patches on the wicket, and there was bounce and movement off the pitch. The Bengaluru new-ball bowlers made the most of the bowling conditions, reducing Gujarat to 23/3 in the powerplay. Mohammed Siraj took two wickets, while Cameron Green took the other.
Siraj dealt the biggest blows dismissing both the openers, Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill, cheaply. Both openers fell to balls that swung away. The pacers bowled perfect line and length, making the most of the bounce available off the pitch. Overall, it was the best bowling performance by RCB so far in IPL 2024, with the pacers dominating the limelight. They bagged eight wickets out of nine that fell to RCB bowlers.
Faf du Plessis hurt Gujarat’s chances for play-offs
Bengaluru needed a good start to chase this tricky target down. Skipper Faf Du Plessis led from the front, exhibiting brilliant hitting of the ball. He raced to a 23-ball 64, and set up an opening stand of 92 runs in 5.5 overs with Virat Kohli. Du Plessis dominated this stand, as he struck 10 fours and 3 sixes during his knock. This stand did the biggest damage for Gujarat as almost 75 per cent of the target was chased down in less than six overs.
Although Gujarat did fight back, taking 6 wickets for 25 runs, they could not avoid the loss. This was their seventh loss in 11 games, and their chances of making it to the play-offs have suffered a big blow. Even a win in all their remaining games might not be enough. They also suffered a net run rate blow due to this big loss.
Key Takeaways from RCB vs GT, Match 52, IPL 2024 - Losing team (GT)
Opening stands have been poor this season for Gujarat
If there has been a pain point for Gujarat, it has been their opening stand. The Titans have persisted with Saha and Gill as openers even though both have struggled to post even a single fifty-plus stand this season. Saha has been a complete shadow of his older self, unable to get the big hits going and struggling to rotate the strike. A lot of pressure has then fallen on Gill who has been inconsistent too.
When Saha was injured, Sai Sudharsan and Gill combined to post two fifty-plus stands. But once Saha recovered, he returned to open with Gill, but there was no change in fate. The reason to bring back Saha as opener when Sudharsan and Gill did well was difficult to understand. Unless Gujarat rectify this problem, they will continue to struggle in the remainder of the season.
Read More: IPL 2024, DC vs GT, Key Takeaways: Miller, Rashid's knocks pale in front of Rishabh's 88*; DC Win
Statistical Highlights from RCB vs GT, IPL 2024
Gujarat made the lowest powerplay score in IPL 2024 so far when they scored 23/3 in 6 overs.
Josh Little took the best bowling figures of his IPL career when he bagged 4/45 against Bengaluru. In 11 IPL matches in his career, he has 11 wickets. This was also his first match in IPL 2024.
Virat Kohli has got the No 1 spot back in the list of highest run-getters in IPL 2024. Currently, he has 542 runs at an average of 67.75 with 1 ton and 4 fifties.
299 runs were the total number of runs scored in this match. It is the lowest match aggregate involving RCB vs GT in IPL.
Points Table Scenario & What's Next
With this win, RCB have jumped to the seventh spot after being last for most of the season. They have eight points from 11 games. This win was their third on the trot. Gujarat are at ninth with eight points from 11 games, but with an inferior net run rate compared to Bengaluru. RCB next face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on May 9, while Gujarat take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 10.
Up next, CSK host PBKS in the first game of the doubleheader Sunday on April 5.
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