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Anushka Sharma's unmissable 'Thank God' celebration as RCB keep playoff hopes alive with 5th straight IPL 2024 match win
On Sunday, RCB beat a Rishabh Pant-less Delhi Capitals side at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium by 47 runs to move to the fifth spot in the points table
The calculators were out early this season when Royal Challengers Bengaluru languished to the bottom of the table after winning just one of their first seven matches. A forgettable start had left their fate to other factors. But the three-time runner-up scripted a stunning turnaround in the following half of the 2024 IPL season, winning five straight matches, to have fate back in their hands.
On Sunday, RCB beat a Rishabh Pant-less Delhi Capitals side at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium by 47 runs to not just move to the fifth spot in the points table, but also stand on the verge of pulling off what looked improbable for them about a month back. With still a match in hand, where they face defending champions Chennai Super Kings at home, a win (by a certain margin to steer away from a net-run-rate battle) could see them through to the next round after missing out in 2023.
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Rajat Patidar played a handy knock of 52 runs off 32 balls, while being ably supported by Will Jacks in his 29-ball 41, after the early departures of captain Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli, as RCB amassed 187 for nine in 20 overs. In response, Delhi's top order looked clueless, losing four wickets inside the first four overs. Stand-in skipper Axar Patel did offer some resistance with his valiant 39-ball 57, but lacked support as the visitors were folded for 141 with five balls to spare.
As soon as the final wicket fell, with Yash Dayal castling down the leg stump to dismiss Kuldeep Yadav, Bollywood actress and wife of Kohli, Anushka Sharma, who was present in the stands throughout the course of the game, was left ecstatic, but only reacted with a 'Thank God' gesture at RCB staying alive in the race to the playoffs.
The run of five straight wins this season is now RCB's joint second-best run in an IPL edition. They had scripted a similar in 2009 and 2016, where they had reached the final in both seasons. Their best run was however in 2011, where they won seven straight matches in a row to make the summit clash.
