IPL 2024: RCB thrash GT to keep playoff hopes alive
Royal Challengers Bengaluru thrashed Gujarat Titans by nine wickets in Match 45 of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). Virat Kohli and centurion Will Jacks starred as RCB chased down 201 without any hassle. Meanwhile, the likes of Sai Sudharsan and Shahrukh Khan hammered fifties for GT, albeit in a losing cause. Here we decode the key stats.
GT post a strong total
Sudharsan arrived following Wriddhiman Saha's (5) early departure. Shubman Gill (16) couldn't do much either as GT were reduced to 45/2. Sudharsan (84*) then joined forces with Shahrukh (58) as the duo added 86 runs before the latter departed. The southpaw, who went berserk toward the end, added 69 runs with David Miller (26*) as GT finished at 200/3.
RCB cross the line with ease
RCB lost Faf du Plessis (24) in the fourth over. Kohli then joined forces with Jacks as the duo dismantled GT with a century stand for the second wicket. While Kohli was the aggressor early on, Jacks was on a boundary-hitting spree after getting settled. None of the GT bowlers looked effective against the duo as RCB crossed the line in 16 overs.
400 runs in the season for Sudharsan
Sudarshan made an unbeaten 84 off 49 balls. His knock was laced with eight boundaries and four sixes. He became the second batter after Kohli (500) to complete 400 runs in IPL 2024. The former has now raced to 418 runs at 46.44. Overall in IPL, Sudharsan raced to 925 runs at an average of 46.25 (SR: 136.43). He struck his sixth IPL fifty.
Maiden half-century for Shahrukh
With the help of three boundaries and five maximums, Shahrukh scored a fiery 58 off 30 balls. This was his maiden T20 fifty as he has raced to 514 runs across 38 IPL games at 19.77 (SR: 141.21). He also raced past 1,000 (now 1,016) runs in 88 T20 matches at a strike rate of 136.74.
Fifth-quickest IPL ton for Jacks
Jacks scored an unbeaten 100 off 41 balls with the help of five boundaries and 10 sixes. The Englishman slammed the second-fastest ton for RCB (41 balls). He is only behind Chris Gayle, who reached the milestone off 30 balls against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in 2013. Jacks overall hammered his fifth-quickest ton in IPL history.
Jacks gets to these feats
Jacks took the fewest balls to go from 50 to 100 in IPL (10). The previous fewest were 13 balls by Gayle against PWI in 2013. Jacks hammered the most runs in an over off Rashid Khan in IPL (28). His tally of 10 sixes is the second-most for a RCB non-opener in an IPL innings. Only AB de Villiers (12 sixes) is ahead.
Fourth T20 ton for Jacks
Playing his maiden IPL season, Jacks has raced to 176 runs across five games at a strike rate of 191.30. This was his second fifty-plus score. In T20 cricket, the batter now tallies 4306 runs in 162 games at a 30-plus average. His strike rate is over 158 as the tally now includes four tons besides 31 fifties.
500 runs in the season for Kohli
Extending his stellar form in the season, Kohli made an unbeaten 70 off 44 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes). He became the first batter to complete 500 runs in the season (50s: 4, 100s: 1). He averages a brilliant 71.42 as his strike rate reads 147.49. He is also the overall highest run-getter in IPL history with 7,763 runs in 247 games at 38.43.
Kohli also scripts these records
Kohli completed 500 runs for the seventh time in an IPL season, the joint-most for any batter. He joined David Warner. The RCB star has crossed the 50-run mark in each of his four innings versus GT. He now tallies 302 runs against them, striking at 151. Kohli and Jacks's 160*-run stand is now the highest partnership against the Titans in IPL.
Other stats scripted in the game
GT's 200/3 is now their highest team total in the first innings. Their previous-highest score in this regard was 199/4 versus Punjab Kings earlier in the season. RCB took the least number of overs to successfully chase down a 200-plus target in IPL (16). This is RCB's second-highest successfull run chase in IPL history. They chased down 204 versus Punjab Kings in 2010.
350 T20 sixes for du Plessis
Du Plessis hammered three maximums and a boundary during his 12-ball 24-run knock. He completed 350 (now 351) T20 sixes during his knock. He has raced to 9,975 runs in the format at 32.17. 4,421 of his runs have come in IPL at 36.23 (159 maximums). The RCB skipper has tallied 288 runs this season at 28.80 (14 sixes).
RCB stay alive in playoff race
Though RCB remain alive in playoff race with this win, they are still at the bottom of the points table with just three victories in 10 matches (NRR: -0.415). GT now have four wins in eight matches (NRR: -1.113). They remain at the seventh position.
