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Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan lauded Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for their recent turnaround in the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, saying that such drastic changes in fortunes do not happen without passion and the franchise gets full marks for the way they have bounced back after a horrid start.
RCB continued with their second-half surge, making it five wins in five matches and climbing up to the fifth spot with a 47-run win over DC at their home ground of M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. After losing seven of the first eight league games, RCB has turned their season around with five successive wins to keep their playoff hopes alive. Speaking to the JioCinema after the game, Zaheer said, "They lost six in a row and have now picked up five consecutive wins. This does not happen without passion, so you have to appreciate that. We do not usually see a team revive its season like this after so many losses, so RCB gets full marks. Whatever you can control is what you base your expectations on, and RCB is showing that. Their last match is against CSK, so one of those teams, or both of them, could end up with 14 points. Due to this, the other results are important. They have improved their run rate as well. If all these things go RCB's way until the final match, it will be an extremely interesting contest." RCB's fifth consecutive win has catapulted them to fifth place on the points table, a position that appeared practically unattainable three weeks ago when they fell by a run to KKR, their sixth defeat in a row. They currently have 12 points, with a potential to reach 14 when they play CSK in their final league game. The Men in Yellow have 14 points. A win in this game might offer them a chance to enter the playoffs, but only if other outcomes go their way since SRH and LSG (two games left for each side, both have 12 points) can both advance to 16 points and knock RCB out. Coming to the match, DC opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Knocks from Rajat Patidar (52 in 32 balls), Will Jacks (41 in 29 balls,), Cameron Green (32* in 24 balls, with one four and two sixes) and Virat Kohli (27) took RCB to 187/9 in their 20 overs. Rasikh Salam (2/23) and Khaleel Ahmed (2/31) were the pick of the bowlers for DC. In the run-chase of 188 runs, Delhi was restricted to 30/4 at one point. A partnership of 56 runs between Shai Hope (29 in 23 balls) and Axar Patel helped DC back into the game. Stand-in captain, Axar scored his second half-century of the season, making 57 in 39 balls to keep his side alive. However, RCB bowlers kept the run flow in control and bundled out DC for 140 runs in 19.1 overs, winning by 47 runs. Yash Dayal (3/20) and Lockie Ferguson (2/23) were among the top bowlers for RCB. Cameron Green secured the 'Player of the Match' award for his knock of 32*, figures of 1/19 in four overs and a run-out of in-form Tristan Stubbs. (ANI)
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