RR vs RCB: Amid feud with Virat Kohli, Sunil Gavaskar drops 'surprising' one-sided game prediction for IPL 2024 Eliminator

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar lauded Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for their remarkable comeback after a disastrous start in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Sunil Gavaskar said that Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli played crucial roles in RCB's comeback in the ongoing T20 tournament.

The Royal Challengers made a stunning comeback to secure a playoff spot in the IPL 2024. The Faf du Plessis-led team lost seven of their first eight games of the season. The Bengaluru team beat defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their final league match to finish fourth in the standings.

The Faf du Plessis-led team defeated the Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs at their home ground. This marks RCB's fourth playoff qualification in the last five seasons since 2020. They will face the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the "Eliminator" at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, May 22.

Nothing Short Of Phenomenal - Sunil Gavaskar

Speaking on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar described RCB's comeback as "nothing short of phenomenal." The former Indian captain stated that Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli have played extraordinary cricket, which inspired the rest of the team.

"What RCB has done is nothing short of phenomenal. Firstly, to believe that they can bounce back. That requires something special. You have to say that their leading players Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, their senior players, they are the guys who are most encouraging the other players. Other team members can quickly get into a situation like , 'Oh we have lost everything'. Both of them have played extraordinary cricket," said Gavaskar.

Virat Kohli is the 'Orange Cap' holder in the ongoing tournament, having scored 708 runs in 14 innings at an impressive average of 64.36 and a strike rate of 155.60. Kohli has smashed five half-centuries and one century. Faf du Plessis has scored 421 runs at an average of 30.07 and a strike rate of 163.81.

RCB Will Walk All Over RR - Sunil Gavaskar

The Rajasthan Royals appeared to be heading towards finishing top in the points table. However, the Sanju Samson-led team endured four consecutive losses and a washout in their final league stage match. The Royals finished in third place in the standings, behind the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Sunil Gavaskar predicted a one-sided match between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator. The former Indian captain stated that RCB will secure victory unless RR does something special in the match.

"Rajasthan they have lost four-five matches. They have not played their last game as well. They have been out of practice. Unless they do something special that KKR did today, despite not playing for 11 days, it could well turn out be another one-sided game tomorrow. My fear is it will be another one sided game tomorrow, where the RCB will walk all over RR. I will be surprised if that does not happen," Gavaskar added.

With Jos Buttler's absence, the Rajasthan Royals rely on players like Yashasvi Jaiswal (348 runs), skipper Samson (504), and Riyan Parag (531) to revive their form. The winner of the IPL 2024 Eliminator will take on SRH in Qualifier 2 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, May 24.

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