Ahmedabad: Last Saturday, Bengaluru’s central business district, one of the most frequented waterholes in the city, went berserk. Exuberant party goers were out on the streets -- dancing and waving the Royal Challengers Bengaluru flags with chants of “RCB, RCB, RCB” reaching a crescendo. Motorists went wild on MG Road honking, howling and hooting till the early hours of Sunday. Even the quieter residential areas erupted in joy as many burst firecrackers in elation.
No, these over-the-top celebrations were not because the Royal Challengers had won the elusive IPL trophy but because the franchise had achieved something that seemed impossible a month ago — qualify for the play-offs. Having lost seven out of the opening eight games, RCB were once again the subject of ridicule but the club, against all odds, snatched the final play-offs ticket by defeating their great rivals Chennai Super Kings, the defending champions, in a nervy shoot-out. It was the first time RCB rose to fourth in the table the entire season.
The players, too, were jumping in joy inside the stadium. Fast bowler Yash Dayal, who showed incredible heart after being smashed out of the stadium for a monstrous six by MS Dhoni while defending 17 runs in the final over, started fist-pumping next to Ravindra Jadeja after the penultimate ball when a win was confirmed.
Now, the task ahead of RCB is even more onerous. They have to knock off the hangover and refocus on another do-or-die task in hand - an Eliminator against a smarting Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The CSK win was just a highlight chapter in their remarkable resurgence and they need to keep the momentum going until Sunday in Chennai to finish the story.
RCB couldn’t have asked for a better rival than Rajasthan, who started the tournament in a blazing fashion but have suffered an alarming dip in form, losing four out of their last five matches with the last of them being washed out. RCB, on the other hand, are on a roll, winning six on the bounce.
Following some honest discussions in the dressing room when they were down the abyss, literally every player has started to perform for RCB that has reignited talks of whether this could be the season for silverware. The talismanic Virat Kohli has completely changed his batting style, now seeking more sixes than fours and upping his strike rate to career high 155.60. Skipper Faf Du Plessis has rediscovered his mojo, Rajat Patidar has struck five half-centuries in second half alone, Cameron Green is playing like the match-winner he is, Dinesh Karthik has turned the clock back again and Glenn Maxwell hit his groove on comeback from a mini mental-health break last match.
Bowlers too have stepped up incredibly. Dayal showed he can be trusted at the death, Mohammed Siraj has found his joie de vivre, all-rounder Lockie Ferguson has lent good balance while spinners Karn Sharma and Swapnil Singh have done a fine job in the middle overs.
Rajasthan, whose skipper Sanju Samson admitted the team is going through failures, needs to inspire his wards come Wednesday. Momentum is very fickle in sports and they can kick-start their own surge with a win against RCB. For that, he needs to fire big along with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag considering England’s Jos Buttler is out on national duty.
The bowlers, especially R Ashwin who hasn’t had a good IPL by his own high standards, have to step up considering the collective form RCB batters have been in.
The force is with RCB, but can Rajasthan quell it?