Former champions Rajasthan Royals (RR), who suffered a heart-wrenching 11-run defeat at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Thursday, are virtually eliminated from the playoff contention in IPL 2025.
It was the third consecutive game this season in which they lost after being in a seemingly winning position.
Against RCB, they were cruising at 134-3 in 13.3 overs, requiring 72 runs off 39 balls with seven wickets in hand. At the end of the 18th over, they were 188-5, needing just 18 runs off the last two overs. Yet, they collapsed spectacularly as their batters threw away wickets, playing senseless risky shots and losing their composure in crucial moments.
In their previous outings too -- against Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants -- Royals fell tantalisingly short of victory, failing to score nine runs off the last six balls on both occasions.
Against RCB, the Riyan Parag-led side were on the verge of their third win of the season at the end of the 17th over bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar as Shubham Dubey and Dhruv Jurel fetched 22 runs carting the veteran pacer for two sixes and two boundaries.
Defending just 18 runs in the final 12 deliveries, RCB needed some magic -- and Josh Hazlewood just delivered it.
Bottling It Royally
When the Aussie pacer was tossed the ball for the penultimate over, not many would have given him a chance as RR had only lost five wickets and two settled batters were at the crease.
What followed was pure wizardry.
After conceding a single off his first ball, Hazlewood bowled a slower off-cutter and Jurel attempted the pull but mistimed it to mid-wicket. A precious dot ball.
He then fired in a yorker length delivery and Jurel tried to play it off-side, but bottom-edged it to the ‘keeper. Jitesh Sharma took an easy catch as the batter walked back making 47 off 34 balls.
Jofra Archer was the new man in and he fell off the next ball, attempting to pull a short delivery and outside-edging it to the cover fielder.
Although Wanindu Hasaranga survived the hat-trick ball as well as the final ball of the over, Hazlewood had already turned the match upside down. He conceded just 1 run off the 19th and gave Yash Dayal plenty to defend in the final over.
Fastest 50
Taking a leaf out of his senior partner’s book, Dayal too remained composed and executed his plan to perfection. He gave away just five runs and picked up two wickets to hand RCB their first home win in IPL 2025.
Earlier, brought into the attack in the fourth over, Hazlewood mixed his pace and dug it in plenty.
He conceded 12 off his first over as Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was batting ultra aggressively in the Powerplay.
Jaiswal continued to treat the Aussie with utter disdain, smashing him for two boundaries and a six off the first three balls of his second over.
Losing Streak
The seasoned pacer, however, had the last laugh as the southpaw attempted a pull shot but the ball hurried into him. He ended up miscuing it to the midwicket fielder. Jaiswal fell just one run short of his fourth consecutive fifty in IPL 2025, and his dismissal was the turning point of the match.
Hazlewood returned to bowl the 17th over, and kept it extremely tight, conceding just 6 runs.
He finished the match with excellent figures of 4-33 in four overs and deservedly won the man-of-the-match award.
The 34-year-old also has completed 50 IPL wickets, and it has come in just 36 matches, which is the fourth fastest among pacers.
Photographs: BCCI
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