Royal Challengers Bengaluru have made a remarkable comeback in this year's IPL, winning 6 consecutive matches to secure a place in this year's playoff stage. The Faf Du Plessis-led franchise will now play their first play-off match of the season against Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad today.
Ahead of the crucial clash for the Bengaluru-based side, former RCB owner Vijay Mallya posted a special message for the Bengaluru-based franchise in which he stated that he could not have made a better choice when deciding to bid for Virat Kohli almost 17 years ago. Mallya also said that RCB had the best chance of lifting the IPL trophy this year.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mallya wrote, “When I bid for the RCB franchise and I bid for Virat, my inner instinct told me that I could not have made better choices. My inner instinct tells me that RCB have the best chance to go for the IPL Trophy. Onward and Upward. Best of luck.”
The winner of the eliminator between RR and RCB will advance to Qualifier 2, where they will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 24. Rajasthan Royals had the better overall record in the league phase of the tournament with 17 points and a net run rate of +0.273. However, RCB have the momentum in their favour after winning 6 games in a row and recording an epic win over Chennai Super Kings in their last outing. RR, on the other hand, have lost 4 of their last 5 encounters, with their last encounter being washed out due to rain.
Rajasthan Royals will also be without the services of top-order batsman Jos Buttler, who has returned to England to prepare for the upcoming T-20 series against Pakistan. While RCB will also be without the services of explosive Will Jacks, they have been boosted by the return of Glenn Maxwell to the side.
