What Happened When RCB And RR Faced Each Other In IPL 2015 Eliminator?
AB de Villiers won the POTM [x.com]
In a much-anticipated encounter, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will cross swords against Rajasthan Royals in the eliminator of the ongoing Indian Premier League season.
Led by Faf du Plessis, the Royal Challengers have been exceptional in the competition as they entered the eliminator following their clinical victory over Chennai Super Kings. Meanwhile, the Royals have fallen flat, looking lacklustre heading to the knockout fixture.
So, considering the recent form of both sides, RCB will start as clear favourites to win this game. In addition, the Red Brigade could take some motivation from their past exploits where they crushed the Royals in the IPL 2015 eliminator.
What happened when RCB and RR clashed in IPL 2015 eliminator?
Led by Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bengaluru batted first in the all-important RCB vs RR fixture at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. They had a shaky start to the innings, with Dhawal Kulkarni getting the prized scalps of Kohli and Chris Gayle.
However, AB de Villiers and Mandeep Singh steadied the ship, forming a sensational 113-run stand for the third wicket. Their sublime fifties powered RCB to 180, a defendable score in that era.
De Villiers emerged as their hero, hammering 66 runs off 38 deliveries, while Mandeep slammed a belligerent 34-ball 54.
In response, Rajasthan Royals had a disastrous start to their innings as RCB's disciplined bowling unit reduced them to 79 for four in 12.1 overs.
Barring Ajinkya Rahane, who scored a fighting 39-ball 42, none of the RR batters could contribute significantly with the bat. As a result, the Royals fell flat during the chase, getting bowled out for 109 runs.