IPL 2022: Match 39, RCB vs RR – Full List of Award Winners, Player of the Match, Who Said What

Rajasthan Royals jumped to the ultimate spot in the points table after clinching the match against RCB.

Published - 26 Apr 2022, 23:46 IST | Updated - 26 Apr 2022, 23:46 IST

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Rajasthan Royals jumped to the ultimate spot in the points table after clinching the 39th match of IPL 2022 against Royal Challengers Bangalore by 29 runs at MCA, Pune. Winning the toss, Faf du Plessis called in-form Royals to bat first and the move did work for them as they restricted Sanju Samson and his men to just 144 runs but failed to chase it down. Jos Buttler, who has been marching in red hot form this season, failed to flaunt his magic today.

However, skipper Samson settled things a bit for his side with his 21-ball 27. It was a half-century by youngster Riyan Parag (56 off 31) that pushed the Royals to breach the 140-run mark on the scoreboard. Josh Hazlewood was splendid once again for RCB today as he picked two wickets while conceding miserly at 4.80. Mohammed Siraj and Wanindu Hasaranga also picked two wickets each.

Kuldeep Sen turns out to be a stunner for RR

When it came to the chase for RCB, out of form Virat Kohli walked down to open the order but failed yet again while getting wrapped on just nine runs. While Kohli failed yet again, the story was pretty similar for the rest of the batters that followed. Skipper Du Plessis’ 23 of 21 was the individual highest from their end and the dismal show of the red franchise ceased on 115 runs. Kuldeep Sen was a stunner with the ball as he bagged a four-for while conceding at 5.70. Seasoned campaigner Ravi Ashwin remained successful thrice on the day.

Losing skipper, Faf du Plessis said:

It’s pretty similar to the previous game we played, there is a little bit of inconsistent bounce. We gave 20 runs too many and the dropped catch cost us 25. 140 was a par score on that pitch. That’s the thing we need to fix [the top-order batting]. The basics of the game doesn’t change. You needed someone in the top four to bat through and we have not done it. We have to try to change the batting order and see if that works. We have to try and play positively. That’s what we discussed after the last game, trying to get the best out of him [on Kohli]. Great players go through these things. Great players go through phases like this. We wanted him to get in straightaway so that he doesn’t sit on the sidelines and think about the game. He is a great player and we still back him to turn it around and hopefully it’s around the corner. It’s a game of confidence.

Winning skipper, Sanju Samson said:

It is a really great win. After the start in the first 15 overs, we had real belief and trust in someone called Riyan Parag. We have been backing him for the last three-four years and he just showed it to the world today. I thought we were 10-15 runs short with no dew in the second innings. The pitch was turning and was two-paced, so 150-160 would have been a good total. It was something we were waiting for, for the back end of our batting to win us matches. Almost everyone has put up a match-winning performance so far. The chat we had just before the second innings, was that when you are chasing 200 there is only one gear. But for such totals like 150, it was only a matter of putting pressure as the batsmen had to change gears. The dressing room atmosphere is really important. We make a couple of changes according to the wicket and the opponent, but the communication is very important. Karun, for example, was left out just because we needed that one over from Daryl Mitchell, and he understands that, and he can come back in later.

Player of the match, Riyan Parag said:

A bit of satisfaction. The Royals have shown faith in me for the last three years, and I am paying them back bit by bit. I love pressure and I am just showcasing my abilities. During the time-out, Sanga came out and we agreed that 140 was a good total on this wicket. We decided to go big in the last two overs. I wanted to target Hasaranga in his second over, but we lost wickets, and so I had to strategize and go after Hazlewood and Harshal.