How do fortunes take steep turns in a tournament? Who would know it better than the Rajasthan Royals (RR)? After leading the points table for over a month, they hit a rough patch, gradually slipping to the third spot and eventually, getting knocked out. They appeared to be the most balanced side at one point in the tournament but suddenly, things started falling apart.
They lost 4 games on the trot towards the tournament’s business end, which shattered their chances of making it to the Qualifier 1. They bounced back with a much-needed win in the Eliminator, against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). However, they couldn’t beat the Sunrisers in the Qualifier 2 and were knocked out.
IPL 2024: Played: 16; Won: 6; Lost: 10; Final Standing: 3rd.
High Point of the Tournament – Jos Buttler’s Ton vs KKR
The incident occurred last month, when Jos Buttler with his incredible knock of 107 of 60 balls vs KKR at the Eden Gardens racked up his seventh IPL hundred; just one century shy off Kohli’s record of 8 hundreds. Leading the chase of 224, Jos Buttler played a crucial knock to script an epic victory. The encounter also saw a blistering ton coming off Sunil Narine’s bat but Buttler stood out with his nerves of steel as the Royals won the game by 2 wickets.
Low Point of the Tournament – 4 losses in a row
The Royals were close to playoff qualification with 8 wins by the end of April 2024. They led the points table for 4 straight weeks but the month of May didn’t treat them well. They lost three away games on the trot – against SRH, DC and CSK, respectively, before biting the dust at their second home in Guwahati. RR lost to Punjab Kings by 5 wickets while their last league stage game, against KKR, was abandoned due to rain. Thanks to their consistent run in the first half of the tournament, they made a top-four finish.
Captaincy Verdict
Sanju Samson endured a mixed season as a captain but a decent one by far. Under his leadership, the Royals flew high before losing the balance as some of their match-winning resources were back home. But still, he utilised the remaining options wisely, though the results didn’t go their way in the end.
Most Valuable Player: Riyan Parag
The IPL 2024 saw the rise of Riyan Parag as a batter. The fans have seen him bowling in the previous editions but this time around, he stuck to his batting, especially after an overwhelming domestic season across formats. Parag finished the tournament as the highest run-scorer for RR, accumulating 573 runs in 16 matches. He is also the third-highest scorer of IP 2023, after Virat Kohli (741 runs) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (583 runs).
Major Disappointment – Tom Kohler-Cadmore
The English batter made a late entry in the RR Playing XI, replacing Jos Buttler who returned home on national duty. But couldn’t establish himself in the limited time he had. Opening the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal on three occasions, the English batter could only muster scores of 18, 20 and 10.
Tournament Verdict
Statistics
Most runs: Riyan Parag; 573 runs in 16 matches, SR 149.21
Most wickets: Yuzvendra Chaha; 18 wickets in 15 games
Highest individual score: Jos Buttler – 107 not-out vs KKR at Eden Gardens
Best Bowling Figures: Sandeep Sharma – 18/5 vs MI at Sawai Mansingh Stadium
Stay updated with the latest from T20 World Cup 2024. Explore T20 World Cup Match Today. Check Updated list of Highest-run getters and Highest Wicket-Takers In T20 World Cup 2024. Check T20 World Cup 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes, Most Fours , Most Fifties And Most HundredsIn T20 World Cup 2024.
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