Lockie Ferguson concedes the remaining 14 runs in one over and Rajasthan Royals win the game by 4 wickets. This means that RCB are knocked out of the tournament while RR set up a Qualifer 2 clash with SunRisers Hyderabad.

Mohammed Siraj has removed Shimron Hetmyer. What an over this was from the pacer!  He conceded only 6 runs in it and claimed two wickets. Rajasthan Royals need 13 runs in 12 balls.

RR 160/6 (18)

Mohammed Siraj has cleaned up Riyan Parag. The batter went for a big shot but missed the ball completely to see it crash on his stumps. Parag is gone for 36 off 26 balls. Rajasthan Royals need 16 runs in 16 balls. Is the game still alive?

11 runs came off Yash Dayal's third over. Rajasthan Royals need 19 runs in 18 balls. This is their game to lose from this point. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are now now staring at defeat. To win the game from this stage, RCB need nothing short of magic.

Mohammed Siraj was hit for 11 runs in the 15th over before Cameron Green was taken to the cleaners for 17 runs. Shimron Hetmyer started the Green over with a six before Riyan Parag hit another six and a four in it. Rajasthan Royals need 30 runs in 24 balls. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a slight edge over Rajasthan Royals now. RR need 58 runs in 36 balls but with a new batter Shimron Hetmyer at one end. Riyan Parag is playing an impressive knock and he needs to take his innings deep to help RR win this game.

Virat Kohli effected a sensational run-out to get Dhruv Jurel dismissed. Riyan Parag hit the ball on the leg side and tried to take a couple. Jurel was not as fast as he should and failed to make it to the non-striker's end in time as Cameron Green clipped off the bails and a stump too. "Magnificent effort," says Sunil Gavaskar on-air. Rajasthan Royals need 61 runs in 41 balls.

That is a beautiful pull shot from Riyan Parag for a six. It was a short ball and Parag pulled it over the cow corner for a biggie. The player at deep mid-wicket did give a run but the ball comfortably sailed over him. Parag then played a dot ball and took a single next to retain strike. 11 runs came off the Lockie Ferguson over. Rajasthan Royals need 62 runs in 42 balls.

RR 111/3 (13)

This is anyone's game from this point, even if Rajasthan Royals hold an edge. They need 73 runs in 48 balls. A couple of more wickets and Royal Challengers Bengaluru can really put their opponents under pressure. RR, on the other hand, need 9.12 runs per over from here.

Sanju Samson is gone and Rajasthan Royals are three down. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are truly back in the game. Coming to the wicket, Samson danced down the track and Karn Sharma bowled it wide on the off-side to see Dinesh Karthik cleaning up the bails. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal is gone for 45 runs off 30 balls. Cameron Green gets the wicket. Rajasthan Royals need 92 runs in 64 balls.

Karn Sharma made a massive miss in the second over. Sanju Samson hit the ball to the right of sweeper cover and wanted to take a couple. Jaiswal sent him back during the second run, but Samson failed to take his crease in time. Karn, who received the throw at non-striker's end, lacked presence of mind and didn't take a shot at stumps. Had he hit the target, Samson would have been in trouble.

Rajasthan Royals are well in control of this chase. They need 99 runs in 72 balls from this point. Needless to say that Royal Challengers Bengaluru need a couple of wickets or more to bounce back in the game.

RR 74/1 (8)

Yashasvi Jaiswal is now capitalising on his start. The southpaw slammed Swapnil Singh for two consecutive fours after Sanju Samson hit a six off the first ball of the over. 17 runs came off the over. Jaiswal is now batting on 34 off 22.  

RR 64/1 (7)

Here is the first blood for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and they are celebrating it with full enthusiasm. Lockie Fergusion has cleaned up Tom Kohler-Cadmore with a back of a hand slower ball. Kohler-Cadmore is gone for 20 off 15 balls and Glenn Maxwell takes a sigh of relief.

RR 46/1 (5.3)

On the first delivery of the fifth over, Glenn Maxwell dropped an easy catch at deep square leg. It was a back of length ball from Yash Dayal that saw Tom Kohler-Cadmore mistime the ball to Maxwell near the boundary rope but the RCB fielder failed to take the catch.

RR 45/0 (5)

Rajasthan Royals are accelerating after a slow start. 13 runs came off Mohammed Siraj's second over. RR have scored 29 runs in the last two overs. Boundaries are coming quite easily for them now and fielding is getting tougher for RCB, meanwhile, due to the heavy dew in the ground.

RR 35/0 (4)

Yash Dayal has been slammed for four fours in his first over. The first one was a sharp catch at first slip where Cameron Green got a hand but failed to grab it. On the very next ball, Jaiswal slammed a four through the backward point and Virat Kohli saw it with a dejected expression. 

Only four runs came of Mohammed Siraj's first over. This is turning out to be a good start for RCB. Yashasi Jaiswal is struggling to hit the ball from the middle of his bat and that seems to be troubling him now.

RR 6/0 (2)

Left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh was handed the first over and he conceded only two singles in it. Jaiswal played three dot balls in the over while Tom Kohler-Cadmore also played a dot ball.

RR 2/0 (1)

13 runs came off the final over of the RCB innings. Sandeep Sharma bowled the over. He finished with figures of 4 for 48 in four overs. While Trent Boult was sensational with the ball, Avesh Khan made a superb comeback to end on a high note. RCB batters struggled to take their innings deep and as a result, the side has been stopped to just a decent total. 

RCB 172/8 (20) 

Another wicket for Avesh Khan. He has weaved his magic here at Ahmedabad. Avesh Khan was hit for 30 runs in his first two overs but made a terrific return by claiming three wickets and conceding only 14 runs in his next two overs. RCB are under tremendours pressure.

RCB 159/7 (19)

Dinesh Karthik it out! It was a back of a hand slower ball from Avesh Khan that was pitched outside off stump. The ball bounced and saw Karthik mistime his shot before Yashasvi Jaiswal took a really good catch at cover. Karthik is out for 11 runs off 13 balls. 

10 runs came off Trent Boult's final over. He finishes with figures of 1 for 16 in four overs. That was a terrific performance from the left-arm pacer. Two overs are remaining in the innings of RCB and they should look to get over 180.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are fighting back. They are not going to give up for sure. They are still on course for a good total on the board. Dinesh Karthik and Mahipal Lomror are the batters out there.

On the third ball of 15th over, Avesh Khan got Dinesh Karthik out as LBW. Umpire raised his finger on the appeal but Karthik decided to review it. The UltraEdge showed a spike but it seemed that the ball cleanly hit Karthik's front pad and the spike was rather due to the bat brushing the pad. The TV umpire failed to obeserve it closely and passes the verdict in batter's favour. ajasthan Royals' Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara and other RR members were furious over the decision.

The tables have turned for Avesh Khan. He conceded 36 runs in the first 13 deliveries he bowled in the game but he has now claimed a wicket. Avesh has got the big man Rajat Patidar, who was firing on all cylinders. Patidar departs for 34 off 22 balls. 

13.3 - Yashasvi Jaiswal has dropped a tough catch at deep mid-wicket. He ran on the edge of the boundary rope and took the catch of Mahipal Lomror but failed to keep the ball inside the field. Lomror got a six and what followed was a death stare from Chahal.

Two wickets in two balls for Ashwin! He is on fire. And what a poor shot this is from Glenn Maxwell to lose his wicket. It was the first ball he was facing and he decided to go downtown. He mistimed it and handed an easy catch to Dhruv Jurel at long-on.

RCB 97/4 (12.4)

A wicket for Ravichandran Ashwin and it is Cameron Green, who departs after scoring 27 runs off 21 balls. Ashwin tossed it up and Green edged it high in the air before Rovman Powell took the catch. RCB are once again under pressure.

10.4 - Would you believe it? Dhruv Jurel has dropped the catch of Rajat Patidar at mid-on. Ravichandran Ashwin got Patidar top-edging a delivery. The ball went in air and it was a dolly for Jurel, who came in running for long-on only to let it pop out of his hands.

Cameron Green decided to up the ante in the 10th over and he slammed Yuzvendra Chahal for a six and a four in the two deliveries of the over. What followed were three singles in the over. A total of 13 runs came off the over.

Only five runs came off Ravichandran Ashwin's second over. Rajasthan Royals are controlling this game beautifully. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on the other hand, need to accelerate now or they would find it hard to post a huge total. 

This is a massive blow for RCB as Virat Kohli departs after scoring 33 runs off 24 balls. He tried to take Yuzvendra Chahal on but has lost his wicket in the process. Chahal gave the flight and Kohli went for an aerial short but found the fielder at the fence at deep mid-wicket.

Virat Kohli hit a four on the fifth ball of Sandeep Sharma's over to race to a huge batting milestone. He became the first-ever batter in IPL history to reach to 8000 runs. Kohli got there in the 252nd match of his IPL career. A total of 13 runs came off the over from Sandeep.

Faf du Plessis is gone! Trent Boult finally gets a reward for putting pressure on the RCB openers. That is a big blow for RCB as their attacking opener walks back to the dugout after scoring 17 runs off 14 balls. That is a sensational catch from Rovman Powell at deep mid-wicket.

RCB 37/1 (4.4)

Trent Boult bowled a three-run over but Avesh Khan has taken the pressure off RCB. He has been hit for 17 runs in his first over in the game. Kohli started the over with a six over backward square leg before Faf slammed two fours.

Faf du Plessis slammed Sandeep Sharma's fifth ball of the over for  a six down the ground. As soon as the ball left du Plessis' bat, Virat Kohli, who was standing at the non-striker end, did a fist bump as he does during his shots. 

Trent Boult has started with a two-run over. He bowled really well in it and managed to keep both Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli muzzled. 

Virat Kohli is on strike while Faf du Plessis is at the other end. Trent Boult is ready with the new ball in hand. Here we go...

Virat Kohli is only 29 runs away from becoming the first-ever batter in IPL history to reach the milestone of 8000 runs. He has played 251 matches so far and scored 7971 runs at an average of 38.69 and a strike rate of 131.95. Kohli has scored 8 centuries and 55 half-centuries in IPL.

Rajasthan Royals: Shubham Dubey, Donovan Ferreira, Nandre Burger, Shimron Hetmyer, Tanush Kotian

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Swapnil Singh, Anuj Rawat, Suyash Prabhudessai, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Himanshu Sharma

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik(w), Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj, Lockie Ferguson

"Would've done the same. Watching the game last night, there was assistance for the seam bowlers early on. This looks on the drier side with some fake grass on top. We've had that mindset right through. Focussing on your own skills, being true to the way you want to play. Last game against CSK was an unbelievable one. Less is more. People think when you get to the knockout stages, you need to be Superman. It's just showing the boys that you trust them. Same team," said RCB captain Faf du Plessis.

"Would like to bowl first looking at the conditions and the wicket. There was dew last night. It's all about the mindset. Really excited to come and play in this fabulous stadium. Great energy here. Looking at what has cricket taught us. When you have bad days, need to have the character and confidence. That has been the challenging part - fitness and injuries. Hetty comes back," said RR captain Sanju Samson after the toss.

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has won the toss and opted to bowl vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024 Eliminator.

In their last match, left-arm seamer Yash Dayal turned around his fortunes to dish out a splendid final over against CSK to deny them a win and lead RCB into the playoffs. For a bowler who was devastated after conceding five consecutive sixes in an over last year, Dayal has proved his mettle this year.

After initial struggles, RCB skipper Faf du Plessis has also found form with the bat to forge a dominating partnership at the top with Kohli, while Rajat Patidar (five half-centuries this season) has also given solidity at the top. RCB have not been impacted much by the exit of England's Will Jacks, while veteran Dinesh Karthik is firing on all cylinders with a strike rate in excess of 195 lower down the order.

RCB's Virat Kohli continues to be the highest run-getter this season with 708 runs from 14 matches and could make the difference in the contest. Kohli's average this season is 64.36 and strike rate is 155.60.

Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, the venue for the IPL 2024 Eliminator game has not been a batting paradise like the other grounds, where shorter boundaries and docile tracks have made the bowlers' job tougher. The 200-run mark has been breached only twice in 12 innings this season here, which means the team having a disciplined bowling attack and a strong batting lineup is more likely to win.

The exit of Jos Buttler has taken a lot of firepower out of their batting and a lot will depend on Yashasvi Jaiswal (348 runs), skipper Samson (504) and Riyan Parag (531) to halt the slide. Samson and Parag will once again be expected to deliver the goods for RR, with England's Tom Kohler-Cadmore expected to partner Jaiswal in what seems like a frail opening pair going by form and experience. Shimron Hetmyer is expected to be available for the contest giving Rajasthan solidity in the lower order, which has not made a big contribution with the bat this season.

When on song, Rajasthan Royals have shown they are unbeatable, but the last four games have exposed frailties in their batting and bowling. The side definitely needs to put an improved show to challenge RCB, who are in their best of the forms.

If Rajasthan Royals are coming off four losses and a rained-off game, RCB have notched up six consecutive wins to sound a warning to their rivals that they mean business in the playoffs. RR, the 2008 IPL winners, suddenly find themselves as the underdogs, when a couple of weeks ago they were red-hot favourites.

RCB have sensationally fought their way back from the brink of elimination. After losing seven of their first eight games this season, the team led by Faf du Plessis hit a dream run and finally knocked out defending champions Chennai Super Kings a few nights ago to seal a playoffs berth.

The buzz is loud, the energy is high & the excitement is out of the park
Rajasthan Royals & Royal Challengers Bengaluru are ready to give it their all in the #Eliminator
Which colour will shine brighter tonight?#TATAIPL | #RRvRCB | #TheFinalCall pic.twitter.com/jjmaCKm1xW

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 22, 2024

The Royals, at one stage, had looked set for a top-place finish in the league stage before a string of four defeats and a washout in the last game against KKR resulted in Sanju Samson's side finishing third behind Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain and wicketkeeper), Abid Mushtaq, Avesh Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Donovan Ferreira, Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Singh Rathore, Nandre Burger, Navdeep Saini, Ravichandran Ashwin, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Rovman Powell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Trent Boult, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Tanush Kotian.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Faf du Plessis (captain), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh and Saurav Chauhan.

Virat Kohli is only 29 runs away from becoming the first-ever batter in IPL history to reach the milestone of 8000 runs. He has played 251 matches so far and scored 7971 runs at an average of 38.69 and a strike rate of 131.95. Kohli has scored 8 centuries and 55 half-centuries in IPL.

Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals will face a stern test of character as they look to arrest a shocking slide in a do-or-die IPL Eliminator against an in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

A awaits in Ahmedabad
Bringthe #Eliminator#TATAIPL | #RRvRCB | #TheFinalCall | @rajasthanroyals | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/KUWaEN1LVx

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 22, 2024