Royal Challengers Bangalore bowed out of IPL 2019 with a four-wicket win on Saturday, May 4, but more importantly, in doing so they made the qualification prospects of Sunrisers Hyderabad uncertain.
Lead image – AFP
Elsewhere, Delhi Capitals boosted their chances of finishing in the top two with a resounding win over Rajasthan Royals, whose hopes of qualification disappeared.
The win against Hyderabad capped a positive second phase for Bangalore, in which they won four out of their last five completed matches. However, after losing six of their first seven matches, the damage had already been done. Unlike Bangalore, who started playing well when they had ‘nothing to lose’, Hyderabad have flunked with plenty to lose.
A win against Bangalore would’ve sealed them a spot in the play-offs, but they must now pray that Kolkata Knight Riders lose against Mumbai Indians on Sunday.
What’s hot
Youngest players to score a Vivo @IPL 5⃣0⃣
Riyan Parag – 1⃣7⃣y 175d 😎
Sanju Samson 18y 169d
Prithvi Shaw 18y 169d
Rishabh Pant 18y 237dAll 4 of them are playing today. #DCvRR #RR #HallaBol pic.twitter.com/qOcZZ2VrMg
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 4, 2019
Riyaan Parag. He didn’t end on the winning side, but it’d be wrong to not reserve special praise for the precocious 17-year-old, who became the youngest Indian Premier League half-centurion, that too in extremely difficult conditions.
Parag walked out to bat at the Feroz Shah Kotla with Rajasthan Royals tottering at 30-4, and saw them sink further to 57-6. But he played beyond his years with grit and determination to score at over a run-a-ball on a pitch that was slow and had invariable bounce and turn.
His knock gave Rajasthan an outside chance of upsetting Delhi’s plans, but Rishabh Pant scored a fine 38-ball 53 to ensure his side got over the line with 23 balls to spare. It is worth noting that, apart from these two, no batsman from either side scored more than 16 in the game.
What’s not
Use the force, Umesh! And use it he did. 😍😍 @y_umesh #playBold https://t.co/hXMBuRWIpg
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 4, 2019
Umesh Yadav. Not too long ago, he was seeming to develop as India’s most reliable pace option, at least in Tests. Now, he’s quickly dropping out of the selector’s radar across formats. His performances this IPL season will have done him no favours either.
After another poor performance, conceding 46 runs from his four overs for no wicket against Hyderabad on Sunday, he closes the season out with an economy rate of close to 10, and a bowling average of over 45.
The saving grace, perhaps, is that his final memory from this year’s tournament will of hitting back-to-back boundaries off Mohammad Nabi to close out the chase for Bangalore. But if he is to claw back as one of India’s top quick bowlers, he’ll need to work on cutting out those loose deliveries. And there are plenty of those.
What they said
4-0-17-3⃣@MishiAmit so nearly had his 4th #VIVOIPL hat-trick but was 👌 nevertheless!#DCvRR pic.twitter.com/kdoWluoH4K
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2019
“Didn’t think I’d be playing that many matches”
– Riyaan Parag has surprised all, himself included
What they didn’t say
“I was holding back for the World Cup”
– After a poor IPL campaign, Kohli will be keen to turn things around
What’s next
There’s plenty riding on Sunday’s double-header. A win against Kings XI Punjab will guarantee Chennai Super Kings the top spot on the points table. Then, it’s do-or-die for Kolkata Knight Riders, as they take on Mumbai Indians.
