After the big win against defending champions Chennai Super Kings, Matthew Hayden in an interview with Star Sports said it was encouraging to see the spirit shown by Royal Challengers Bangalore. They continued their fairytale run with a 27-point win over CSK, clinching the fourth and final playoff spot.
Virat Kohli (left) and Mohammed Siraj celebrate the sacking of Daryl Mitchell from Chennai Super Kings.
former australian cricketer Matthew Hayden said Royal Challengers Bangalore Trophy drought could be over by the end of the year IPL 2024. Bangalore fell to the bottom of the table with six consecutive losses, and at one point during the tournament it looked like they were dying. However, they turned things around and eventually won six straight games to make the playoffs.
Following a big win over the defending champions chennai super kingsHayden said while speaking. star sportssaid he was encouraged by the spirit shown by Bangalore. They continued their fairytale run with a 27-point win over CSK, clinching the fourth and final playoff spot.
Hayden said he sometimes felt sorry for the Bangalore fans as they came close many times but ultimately missed out on the top prize.
“It's really great to see and it's actually encouraging to watch. To be honest, I always felt a little bit sorry for the RCB fans because it's their ninth time participating in this playoffs. They've come all the way to see this game. And they've been bridesmaids so many times that this might be the year,” Hayden said.
This is Bangalore's sixth straight win, and after being invited to bat, he first posted a good score of 218/5 and then held Chennai to 191/7 to reach the play-offs for the ninth time in 15 seasons.
Bangalore overcomes fear Ravindra Jediya (42 not out) and MS Dhoni (25) raised hopes of a comeback following Rachin Ravindra's 61, but Yash Dayal held his nerve in the final over to take the hosts home.
Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have already qualified for the playoffs.
While it was a jubilation for Bangalore, a large number of Dhoni's fans were left in despair as this might be the last time they would witness their 'Tara' performance on the cricket field.
Bangalore, who were on the back foot after losing seven of their first eight games, made a remarkable turnaround with five consecutive wins and earned a chance to advance to the Final Four.
On Saturday, the hosts needed to win by at least 18 points to clinch the final play-off spot and they accomplished that in style with another great show at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
