Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 4 wickets.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) progressed to the Qualifier 2 after eliminating Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) with a 4-wicket win in the Eliminator clash at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (May 22).
Invited to bat first by RR skipper Sanju Samson who won the toss, RCB posted 172/8 on the board courtesy thirties by Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Mahipal Lomror. Avesh Khan (3/44) and R Ashwin (2/19) were the most successful RR bowlers.
In reply, RR chased down the sub-par target in 19 overs for the loss of 6 wickets, as Yashasvi Jaiswal (45), Riyan Parag (36), and Shimron Hetmyer (26) played crucial knocks in the chase. RR will now face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Qualifier 2 on Friday in Chennai, and the winner will go through to Sunday's final at the same venue.
Post the match RCB wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik was seen bidding an emotional goodbye to the fans as his teammates applauded with him leading the side back inside the pavilion. RR coach Kumar Sangakkara also gave him a warm hug.
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Karthik, who played in the inaugural IPL season in 2008, had indicated ahead of the tournament that this would be his last season. He scored 326 runs at a strike-rate of 187, with two half-centuries and some even suggested his inclusion in India's T20 World Cup squad, with him also stating his readiness for the same, but it didn't materialize.
While an official announcement is awaited from the cricketer, the scenes post tonight's clash indicate that his retirement decision was final and the 38-year-old has in all likelihood played his last IPL game. He has already began his career as a commentator and is likely to pursue it further.