Suyash and Hazlewood star as RCB storm into IPL final after nine years

A superb bowling amusement led by three-fers from Suyash Sharma and Josh Hazlewood took Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their 4th last successful the Indian Premier League (IPL) history, beating Punjab Kings by 8 wickets successful a one-sided Qualifier 1 clash successful the 2025 play astatine the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium successful New Chandigarh connected Thursday. 

On a transportation that had ample stitching and other bounce, everything went RCB’s way, close from the toss, arsenic leg-spinner Suyash and a returning Hazlewood took 3-17 and 3-21 respectively to rip isolated the PBKS’ power-packed batting line-up and bundle them retired for conscionable 101 successful 14.1 overs. The duo were besides supported by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, and Romario Shepherd, taking 4 wickets collectively to acceptable the basal for a dominating RCB win.

In the chase, opener Phil Salt scored a 23-ball fifty, his fastest half-century successful the IPL, and sizzled with immoderate exquisite stroke-play to beryllium unbeaten connected 56 disconnected 27, arsenic RCB completed the pursuit with 10 overs to spare. While RCB volition present play their 4th IPL last connected June 3 astatine the Narendra Modi Stadium successful Ahmedabad, PBKS person different changeable astatine making the last erstwhile they play Qualifier 2 against the victor of the Eliminator clash astatine the aforesaid venue connected Sunday.

Dayal gave RCB a agleam commencement arsenic Priyansh Arya played a thrust distant from the assemblage and a elemental drawback to cover. Prabhsimran Singh got the innings going by whipping Dayal for six, earlier carting Bhuvneshwar for back-to-back boundaries. Bhuvneshwar, though, had the past laughter arsenic helium recovered Prabhsimran’s bladed borderline connected a abbreviated shot and was caught easy by the keeper.

RCB’s too-hot-to-handle bowling deepened PBKS’ woes arsenic Shreyas Iyer went for an almighty hoick disconnected Hazlewood and gave a heavy borderline down to the keeper. The pacer again struck successful the past implicit of power-play by having Josh Inglis caught astatine heavy good leg, PBKS closed the six-over signifier astatine 48/4.

There was nary extremity to PBKS’ downward procession arsenic Nehal Wadhera flattened his limb stump aft chopping connected disconnected the bowling of Dayal, portion Shashank Singh was castled done the gross disconnected a googly from Suyash. Impact substitute Musheer Khan lasted lone 3 balls, arsenic Suyash went past his swipe crossed the enactment and trapped him lbw successful beforehand of the limb stump.

Though Stoinis tried to wage a fightback, helium was stopped successful this pursuit by Suyash, who castled him done the gross with a googly yet again. Azmatullah Omarzai’s 4 and six disconnected Suyash, on with a bound from Kyle Jamieson, got PBKS to scope the three-figure mark, with Hazlewood completing his three-fer erstwhile Jitesh Sharma leapt full-stretch to his close and completed a stunning grab.

Chasing a paltry 102, Virat Kohli was disconnected to a speedy commencement with a propulsion of Arshdeep Singh, earlier glancing Jamieson for different boundary. Salt made the astir of the other bounce by hammering Arshdeep for 4 and six respectively. But Kohli departed successful a wicket maiden 4th implicit erstwhile Jamieson got a back-of-the-length shot astir the sixth stump to signifier distant from him and drawback his extracurricular edge.

With the shot moving around, Jamieson got to bushed Mayank Agarwal thrice, earlier the batter reviewed connected the 4th juncture and got to reverse the on-field retired call. Salt managed to calm RCB’s nerves by flaying and steering disconnected Omarzai for a brace of fours.

An on-drive from Agarwal was followed by Salt caressing a thrust done cover, earlier pulling and lofting Jamieson to prime 2 fours and a six, arsenic 21 runs came disconnected the last power-play over. After RCB ended their power-play astatine 61/1, Salt cleared his beforehand limb to clobber Harpreet Brar for six, earlier Agarwal lofted and drove Musheer for six and 4 respectively.

But Musheer broke the 54-run basal arsenic Agarwal got a feather borderline connected the flick and was caught astatine slip. Salt, though, marched guardant to bring up his 50 and celebrated it by slashing Brar for four.

From there, RCB’s triumph was conscionable a foregone decision arsenic skipper Rajat Patidar thumped Musheer for four, earlier hitting the winning runs with an astonishing slog-sweep to guarantee his squad had a fewer days off, earlier taking the tract for the all-important rubric clash connected June 3.

Brief scores:

Punjab Kings 101 each retired successful 14.1 overs (Marcus Stoinis 26, Prabhsimran Singh 18; Suyash Sharma 3-17, Josh Hazlewood 3-21) mislaid to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 106/2 successful 10 overs (Phil Salt 56 not out, Mayank Agarwal 19; Kyle Jamieson 1-27, Musheer Khan 1-27) by 8 wickets

(This communicative was taken from the syndicated provender and was lone edited for benignant by Gujarat Samachar Digital team)