END OF OVER:
19 | 4 Runs 1 Wkt | RR: 109/10 (72 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 5.73, RRR: 72.00)

  • Ankit Sharma7 (5b)
  • Yuzvendra Chahal4-0-20-2
  • Mitchell Starc4-0-22-1

Thanks for tuning in tonight. Do come back and join us for Qualifier 2 on Friday. Until then, good night and cheers.

AB de Villiers, Man of the Match: I haven't performed that well in the last couple of innings. I have no idea how we got to 180. We were looking at 140. The way Mandeep played was a Man-of-the-match performance. The trophy will go to him after the presentation. CSK have won many tournaments and we know what we are up against.

Virat Kohli: No quarter-finals left. It will be a semi-final from now. After seven overs, I honestly thought we should have bowled first. We all know AB is the best batsman in the world. Commendable effort from Mandeep and showed why we literally pulled him out of Kings XI. He [Starc] is a professional and knows how to manage his workload. Even I am a bit stiff in the legs. The 150[kph] kind of effort was not needed, he is fit and good. He was just going through the motions. We have played better cricket than previous seasons. 2013 we did not qualify and that hurt. I am really really happy as a skipper. Eventually it comes down to two games and the boys are really looking forward to the final.

Steven Smith: I think a fair bit went wrong for us today. We started well, but it got away in the middle and end. I though him [AB de Villiers] and Mandeep played nicely. I thought 160 was par and they got a fair bit over that. I think we did not have enough momentum going into the back end of the tournament.

11:30pm Kohli hugs AB. The players exchange pleasantries. After putting up a formidable total on the board, RCB chipped away at the wickets, skittling RR for 109 in 19 overs. Rahane offered some source of resistance with 42 off 39 balls but it was only a matter of time before Royal Challengers completed the formalities. The regular fall of wickets and scoreboard pressure hurt Royals' chase. They din't come to terms with the pitch either..

Naveen: "Don't forget the efforts of Harshal patel he's a real unsung hero for rcb "

Afzal: "ABD, the most humble cricketer... First he said about Miller in the world cup and now Mandeep..."

Ravi: "The 3 teams which are still standing have these things in common: "Indian player as captain" "Atleast one West Indian, who is contributing massively""

Ahsan Butt: "David Wiese - an unsung hero of RCB this season.

18.6
W
Chahal to Kulkarni, OUT, bowled'im. RCB advance to Qualifier 2. They set up CSK Ranchi date for a place in the final. Chahal slips in the googly, Kulkarni fails to pick it after making room, he drives and doesn't connect. Chahal hits middle and off.

DS Kulkarni b Chahal 3 (9m 9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 33.33

18.5
1
Chahal to Ankit Sharma, 1 run, short and wide outside off, he goes on the back foot and slaps it to the covers
18.4
1
Chahal to Kulkarni, 1 run, length on off, he sinks to one knee and slog-sweeps it high in the air. Just dies in front of Mandeep at deep midwicket
18.3
0
Chahal to Kulkarni, no run, googly, spins in on off. Defensively pushed to the covers
18.2
1
Chahal to Ankit Sharma, 1 run, pitched up and outside off, he throws his bat at it and slices it over the covers
18.1
1
Chahal to Kulkarni, 1 run, floated up on middle and leg, pushed to long-on

Chahal..

END OF OVER:
18 | 2 Runs | RR: 105/9 (76 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 5.83, RRR: 38.00)

  • Ankit Sharma5 (3b)
  • Dhawal Kulkarni1 (5b)
  • Mitchell Starc4-0-22-1
  • David Wiese4-0-32-2

namit: "no batsmen hit a single six for RR"

17.6
0
Starc to Ankit Sharma, no run, length and angling away outside off, he pokes limply and gets beaten
17.5
1
Starc to Kulkarni, 1 run, pitched up and on off, driven past the covers for one
17.5
1w
Starc to Kulkarni, 1 wide, short and dragged down leg, wide called

Ahsan Butt: "6 wickets in last 5 overs for 24 runs. Promising to watch RCB's bowling attack taking control. "

17.4
0
Starc to Kulkarni, no run, short and wide outside off, Kulkarni can't slice it away
17.3
0
Starc to Kulkarni, no run, good length on off, pressed to the covers
17.2
0
Starc to Kulkarni, no run, lowish full toss outside off, he pushes and misses. The ball was not far away from the off stump
17.1
0
Starc to Kulkarni, no run, pitched up and angled in on off, Kulkarni covers his stumps and shuts it down to the off side

END OF OVER:
17 | 8 Runs 1 Wkt | RR: 103/9 (78 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 6.05, RRR: 26.00)

  • Ankit Sharma5 (2b)
  • Dhawal Kulkarni0 (0b)
  • David Wiese4-0-32-2
  • Mitchell Starc3-0-20-1
16.6
4
Wiese to Ankit Sharma, FOUR, back of a length and outside off, he steps away and flashes it past the covers. Starc gets across from sweeper cover, fumbles and gives away a four. RR reach three figures

No.11 Kulkarni.

16.5
W
Wiese to Hooda, OUT, another nail rammed in the RR coffin. Wiese bangs it short and outside off, Hooda is in no position to pull, mis-times it, hit high on the bat for a simple catch at deep square leg

DJ Hooda c Starc b Wiese 11 (27m 14b 0x4 0x6) SR: 78.57

16.4
1
Wiese to Ankit Sharma, 1 run, length on middle, pressed into the covers for a quick one. He dives and makes his ground

Ankit..

16.3
1
Wiese to Hooda, 1 run, slower one on off, flat-batted to long-on
  • 'De Villiers has helped my batting' - Mandeep

    RCB batsman Mandeep Singh credited his improved performance in recent matches to AB de Villiers' help with technical aspects of batting

  • Gayle's gamble and Dhawal's double

    Plays of the day from the IPL Eliminator between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Pune

  • De Villiers, Mandeep fifties crush Royals

    Royal Challengers Bangalore set up a clash with Chennai Super Kings for a place in the final as they sent Rajasthan Royals out of the tournament with a commanding performance

  • Royals get Mandeep-sixed in Pune

    Royal Challengers Bangalore had two of their three big guns out cheaply but Mandeep Singh took charge of the innings to set up AB de Villiers late surge, part of five key moments from Wednesday's IPL Eliminator in Pune

No return on investment

11.3

Dinesh Karthik's average this IPL - the lowest for any top-order batsman (Nos. 1 to 7) in any IPL season (min. 10 inns)

A two-man club

2

Number of batsmen who have scored 500+ runs in this IPL - David Warner and AB de Villiers

A ton of sixes

5

Number of foreign batsmen who have hit 100+ sixes in the IPL - AB de Villiers is the fifth

An unwanted low

60

Runs scored by RCB in the first 10 overs, their joint-lowest this season

Even-Stevens

7-7

Head-to-head between Rajasthan and Bangalore in the IPL. Bangalore have lost 3 of the last 4 games

Awesome Twosome

2314

Partnership runs between Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, the most by any pair in T20 history