Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets on Friday to set up an IPL final against Gujarat Titans, with Jos Buttler smashing a tournament-record fourth century. Rajasthan accomplished their goal of 158 with 11 balls to spare in the second qualifier at the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, as Buttler equaled Kohli’s record of four tonnes in one IPL season. He scored 106 runs off 60 balls, including 10 fours and six sixes.
Rajasthan won the inaugural edition in 2008 under the management of late Australian great Shane Warne, as fast bowlers Prasidh Krishna and Obed McCoy both took three wickets to restrict Bangalore to 157-8 and set up victory for Rajasthan.
Gujarat defeated Rajasthan in the first qualifier earlier this week, and the final will be contested on Sunday at the same venue.
Buttler got the Royals off to a flying start with a 61-run opening stand in 31 balls with left-handed Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was dismissed by Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood in the sixth over.
In just 23 balls, the in-form Englishman, who leads the tournament batting rankings with 824 runs, hit his fifty.
Wanindu Hasaranga gave the RCB some hope when he dismissed skipper Sanju Samson for 23 runs.
Buttler achieved his century and celebrated by punching the air, before hitting the winning six to extend Bangalore’s wait for their first IPL victory.
When they were put in to bat first, Bangalore lost Kohli for seven runs after he hammered New Zealand left-arm quick Trent Boult for a six in the first over, but they were shortly dismissed by Krishna in the next.
Kohli, who smashed a match-winning 73 in his team’s final league encounter following a mainly difficult season that included three golden ducks, had his gloves touched by a pitch invader after the first ball of the contest.
Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar embarked on a 70-run stand as they attempted to take the assault to the opposition bowlers.
Patidar, who struck an undefeated 112 against the Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday, fought alone after being dropped on 13.
Du Plessis, on the other hand, had no luck and was caught at short third man by McCoy, who had figures of 3-23. He had a total of 25.
Patidar scored fifty with a six off Yuzvendra Chahal’s leg-spinner, but he was soon bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin after Buttler collected a well-judged catch at long off.
The wickets continued to tumble as Krishna took two consecutive deliveries in the 19th over to finish with statistics of 3-22 from his four overs.
