NEW DELHI: With one run needed,
Jos Buttler
smashed a last-over six to take Rajasthan Royals to a six-wicket victory against
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
at the
Sawai Mansingh Stadium
in Jaipur on Saturday.
Rajasthan secured their fourth consecutive win of the season riding on Buttler's scintillating century, achieved in his 100th game as the opener sealed the deal in style.
Buttler's explosive batting, culminating in a remarkable hundred off just 58 balls, showcased his sheer dominance on the field. His determination to reach the milestone with a six epitomized his aggressive yet calculated approach to the game, clearing the ropes in spectacular fashion.
With this century, Buttler not only propelled Rajasthan to victory but also etched his name in the annals of cricketing history.
"Had a little bit of luck, did not time it well, just got over the rope, delighted with the win. However long you've played the game, you still have those anxieties and stresses. The mind is a powerful thing, just keep digging in, keep working hard and you need a little bit of luck along the way. At some point it will be okay and sometimes you have to tell yourself it will be okay. I did feel really good in the last game, even though I got 13. I had a really good tournament in South Africa, I just felt like I needed one innings to put that to bed. We started the season really well, we have been together now for three seasons, we have got a good thing going, but we need to keep working hard and keep the momentum going," man of the match Buttler said after the match.
In response to RCB's total, Rajasthan got off to a shaky start, losing
Yashasvi Jaiswal
early to Reece Topley. However, Jos Buttler and
Sanju Samson
turned the tide in Rajasthan's favor with a formidable partnership, decimating the Bangalore bowling attack with their aggressive strokeplay.
Despite facing some resistance from the RCB bowlers, including Mayank Dagar and Himanshu Sharma, Buttler and Samson exhibited resilience and determination, propelling Rajasthan towards victory.
Samson's milestone of crossing 4000 runs in his Indian T20 League career further highlighted his significance in Rajasthan's batting line-up.
"Anything below 190 with a little bit of dew, with the batting order we have, it was a good score to chase. Touchwood, a few games to go, they are doing well, four days of gap, allows people to recover, rest, train and allows you to come charged up for a game. Bowling is 9 and batting is 8.7. [on Buttler] Just about time, if he gets through the powerplay, and if he hits it, very happy for him and very happy for the team," Samson said after the match.
Despite a valiant effort from RCB, led by
Virat Kohli
's magnificent century, Rajasthan managed to chase down the formidable target of 183 with five balls to spare.
Kohli's masterful innings, supported by a crucial partnership with Faf du Plessis, laid a strong foundation for Bangalore's innings.
However, Rajasthan's bowlers, including Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin, displayed exceptional skill and precision to contain the runs and keep the pressure on the opposition.
"I think we found the wicket tricky in the first innings. I thought 190 was a good score, think we could have added 10-15 runs max. Their spinners bowled well (in the middle overs), good decision by them to bowl first. With the dew batting got easier. Virat was playing well at the back end, with someone like Green coming in, you want to maximise those last overs. We tried to squeeze as hard as we can, but it was tricky to hit against the spinners. It was easier to hit the seamers. The pitch definitely got better, you could feel it, the ball was skidding along nicely. We were excellent in the first four overs. I think that 20 runs over (from Dagar) took the momentum away and shifted the pressure back on us. Not bowling Maxwell was because all right-handers were batting, so went to the left-handed spinner initially. With two right-handers at the crease, went to the left arm spinner and later got the leg spinner (Himanshu Sharma) into the attack. There was no point of being defensive, we needed wickets. When we got Jaiswal out, I didn't feel the need to go to Maxwell. Fielding was average, it's something we have spoken about, we'll work and try to improve. Not worried about catches, it's about showing intensity on the field," Faf du Plessis said at the presentation ceremony after the match.
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