IPL 2022 Highlights, RR vs RCB Qualifier 2: Buttler ton helps Rajasthan thrash Bangalore, set up final against Gujarat

Edged and gone!!! Prasidh Krishna maintained the off stump line to Kohli, who nicked it to Samson behind the stumps! Huge blow!

Prasidh bowled it wide to Kohli and Bangalore suffered a huge blow in the second over! A healthy edge off Kohli and Samson pouched an easy catch.

RCB 13/1

A Kohli-esque shot to finish the over! Early reason to celebrate for the crowd! It was on Kohli's pads and he whips it away for a six over deep square leg! Eight runs off the first over.

RCB 8/0

First runs! Kohli tucks it to square leg for a single… and we hear a huge cheer for the Bangalore stalwart!

RCB 1/0

Kohli, du Plessis open for Bangalore! Boult starts off the proceedings with the ball. Let's begin!

"Our batting has come along well. Any of the 11 can be match winners. Patidar has been unbelievable. He takes the game on. He gets us on the front foot going into the last 10," says Josh Hazlewood.

Both teams are within touching distance of the finals berth! Ee Sala Cup Namde? Or will Rajasthan register a 'Royals' win to enter the summit clash... we are just minutes away from live action! Stay tuned for live updates.

“It was my first century and that too it came in the IPL, so feels really great. I don't think too much about the performance, because sometimes it comes and sometimes it doesn't so I just focus on my preparation,” says Patidar.

“I gained a lot of confidence talking to Kohli and he shared his experiences about where I can get better.”

Bangalore do not tinker with the winning combination! Rajasthan also go with an unchanged eleven.

The focus will be on Kohli and du Plessis as the star Bangalore pair will eye a steady start tonight. Rajat Patidar will also hope to put up a stellar show with the willow.

"We were actually looking to bat first, it looks a good pitch and we believe runs on the board in a big game will count in our favour. Guys had a good rest yesterday, but today everyone has turned up really fresh and pumped up for the game," says RCB captain Faf du Plessis.

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik(w), Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(w/c), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Obed McCoy, Yuzvendra Chahal

"We will bowl first. The wicket is a bit sticky and hopefully it will help our bowlers first-up," says Sanju Samson.

“Yesterday we had a good practice session. Everyone is happy and excited for the game. Emotionally everyone is connected to the team and the franchise”

Sanju Samson has won the toss. Rajasthan to bowl first against Bangalore.

While Bangalore won the first leg at the Wankhede during the league stage, Rajasthan made it 1-1 with a win in Pune. Also, Chahal and Hasaranga are top wicket-takers in the competition. The Sri Lankan tweaker is just one wicket behind Chahal, who has 26 plucks under his belt! A spin battle is on the cards!

Bangalore have made their mark globally with vociferous fan following across the world. In hunt for elusive IPL title, they look to enter their fourth IPL final by winning this game.

"We haven't discussed much. We had decided before the tournament that we will maintain some balance. We have stuck to that. Our team composition is suitable for every condition and situation. We have good chances for this game. If you think about pressure, there will be pressure. It is an achievement for me to play at this ground as it is my first game here," says Riyan Parag.

The RCB chant has already started in Ahmedabad! The T20 side enjoys a huge fan following alongside Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. Electric atmosphere at the Narendra Modi Stadium that accommodates over 1 lakh fans for tonight's blockbuster game… we are just minutes away from the flip of coin! 

All eyes are on Virat Kohli, who faces Trent Boult's movement in the initial overs! Also, Boult has never dismissed Kohli in the shortest format. Prasidh Krishna has removed the Bangalore stalwart twice, while Ashwin has plucked his wicket once.

Matthew Hayden reckons the boundary pockets are a little bit bigger. There are no cracks, got great even covering of grass and I expect batting is gonna be really good. The average scoring winning is 175.

Bangalore, who have peaked at the right time, played in the final in 2009, 2011 and 2016. Some exciting match-ups on the cards! Yuzvendra Chahal, Shimron Hetmyer and Devdutt Padikkal will be up against their former IPL side.

Bangalore are on a roll and a tight win over Lucknow in the Eliminator has fuelled expectations for a long-awaited trophy. Can they pass the stiff Rajasthan challenge and inch closer to their maiden IPL crown? Whoever wins tonight faces Gujarat Titans in the blockbuster finale on Sunday night!

Ahmedabad is set to host its first game of the season! It had hosted T20 matches last year -- five T20Is for India against England and five IPL games of the last edition… expecting a cracker of a contest! Stay tuned for live updates!

For the first time in nine years, Rajasthan play Qualifer-2 in the IPL. Their only previous appearance in Qualifier-2 was in 2013 against Mumbai Indians in Kolkata. They had suffered a four-wicket defeat.

The average first innings score at Ahmedabad across T20s in the last 10 games is 165. Also, the conditions will be quite different from that of Kolkata, with the weather being on the drier side.

Sanju Samson is 95 runs away from becoming the leading run-scorer for Rajasthan Royals and surpassing Ajinkya Rahane's tally of 3098 runs.

Harshal Patel is just three wickets away from touching the 100-wicket mark in the IPL.