After 8.2 overs' play, heaven opened up again saying, that's enough. Enough for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) too. Rain threw in cats and dogs and everything. Then their match against Rajasthan Royals was reduced to a five-overs affair, only to be abandoned.
Despite a flying start, RCB could only manage to put 62/7 as Shreyas Gopal (3/12) starred with the ball for the visitors in a rain-hit Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
RR leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal took a memorable hat-trick that was eventually called off due to intermittent rain, pushing RCB out of the playoff race.
Needing 22 off the final 10 balls, RR were favourites to pocket two points but showers lashed Chinnaswamy again and both teams had to share a point each. The no result keeps Royals mathematically alive in the tournament as they have 11 points from 13 games with one match to go.
RCB got a point from the called off game, taking them to nine points from 13 games, ending all their hopes of progressing in the tournament.
RR were 41/1 after 3.2 overs before the rain came down again. Sanju Samson scored 28 off 13.
Playing XIs:
RCB: Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Heinrich Klaasen, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Marcus Stoinis, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kulwant Khejroliya, Yuzvendra Chahal
RR: Ajinkya Rahane, Liam Livingstone, Sanju Samson (wk), Steven Smith (c), Riyan Parag, Stuart Binny, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Varun Aaron, Oshane Thomas
12:25 PM IST: Yuzvendra Chahal on. A wide and a run. But Nigel Llong gives a bye. Chahal had Sanju Samson (28 off 13)catch by Pawan Negi at extra cover. FoW-41/1 (3.2 Over). Rajasthan need 22 runs in 10 balls. Then, we have rain. AND THAT"S IT. What a waste!
This means that RCB's campaign is effectively and mathematically over.
12:22 AM IST: Kulwant Khejroliya gets his over, and Sanju Samson launches the first ball over cow corner for a six. A single, then a leg bye, followed by a dot. Close call. Samson hits the next ball for a six, over long-on. Then a lucky four, beating the slip and wicketkeeper. 23 runs from the over. RR-40/0 after three overs. They need 23 from 12.
12:17 AM IST: Liam Livingstone hits the first ball off the second ball for a four, over midwicket. A six off the next ball, over long-on boundary. Heinrich Klaasen stops a certain four at cover. Brilliant effort. It will go down as a drop though. A single. A single to deep square leg. A dot. Another dot to the end over. 12 runs from it. RR-22/0 after two overs. They need 41 from 18 balls.
12:10 AM IST: Umesh Yadav with the new ball. A dot Sanju Samson. Appeal for a caught behind, by the bowler. Huge gap between the bat and ball. Samson pulls the next ball for a six over deep-wicket. A four to fine-leg. An away swinging delivery, similar to the first one, for a dot. Another dot, to mid on. A dot to end the over. RR need 53 from 24 balls.
11:57 PM IST: Oshane Thomas starts with a no ball to Heinrich Klaasen. A single from the free-hit. Liam Livingstone takes another catch to send back Klaasen. He's everywhere. This time at deep cover. FoW-57/6 (4.3 Over). New man Pawan Negi hits the fourth ball for a four, top-edged. And caught behind the next ball. A dot ball to Navdeep Saini to end the innings. Eight runs from the over. RCB-62/7.
11:51 PM IST: Parthiv Patel is the new man. Jaydev Unadkat starts his over with a single to Heinrich Klaasen. Patel hits the next ball for a four to fine leg. Patel plays the last ball straight to Oshane Thomas at short fine leg. Nine runs from the over. FoW-54/5 (4.6 Over).
11:45 PM IST: Gurkeerat Singh Mann is the new man for RCB. Riyan Parag with the third over. A four off the fourth ball as gets a thick edge flying over short fine leg. Next ball, wicket for Parag. He had Gurkeerat caught at cow corner by Mahipal Lomror. Ten runs from the over. 44/4 (2.5 Over).
11:40 PM IST: Shreyas Gopal on and Virat Kohli dismisses it over long on for a six. Then a bullet four, beating mid-on fielder. Great piece of fielding from Liam Livingstone to restrict the next ball to a double. Then, Gopal gets Kohli again. He had the legend caught at long on. Simple catch for Livingstone. FoW-35/1 (1.4/5 Over). In walks, Marcus Stoinis. Two in two for Gopal. He had AB de Villiers, again, too. Caught by Riyan Parag at cover. On a hat-trick, and he gets Heinrich Klaasen. Marcus Stoinis hits straight to mid-off with Steve Smith waiting. What a moment. 12 runs and three wickets. RCB-35/3.
11:32 PM IST: Virat Kohli hits the first ball over long-off for a six. He follows it up with another, this time, over third man. Ball is INJURED. A single, then AB de Villiers gets a streaky four, to the third man. A double to deep midwicket. One bounce to cow corner. 23 runs from Varun Aaron's over.
11:10 PM IST: Finally, we will have a five-overs game. Starts at 11:26 PM.
9:55 PM IST: Next pitch inspection will be at 11.05 PM IST.
9:22 PM IST: Rain has died down and there will be an inspection at 10:40 PM IST.
9:23 PM IST: And, it's raining.
9:10 PM IST: The, it's back again. It's raining.
n8:59 PM IST:
8:35 PM IST: Is it anything to do with cyclone 'Fani'? In its 12 pm bulletin, the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said Fani (which is pronounced as Foni) lays over the southeast and adjoining the southwest Bay of Bengal.
8:26 PM IST: Official closing time is 11.20 PM IST. But it can be extended by an hour, meaning a 12.20 AM finish is possible. And for a 5-overs match, which usually takes less than an hour, play can still start at 11.30 PM.
8:20 PM IST: Here's update on MS Dhoni's chances of playing in Wednesday's top of the table clash between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings.
8:17 PM IST: Chinnaswamy probably has the best drainage system in India, but this belter will make outfield petty wet.
8:10 PM IST: Bad news for both the teams. 9 PM is the cut off time before losing overs.
8:00 PM IST: Then, it's pouring.
7:41 PM IST: Here's a quick look at the head-to-head record: In the previous 21 meetings, RR have won 10 to RCB's nine. There were two no results too.
7:35 PM IST: One change for RR. Mahipal Lomror comes in for Ashton Turner. Two changes of RCB. Pawan Negi returns while Kulwant Khejroliya comes in for Shivam Dube.
7:31 PM IST: Steve Smith wins the toss and Rajasthan Royals will bowl first. And no signs of rain now.
7:26 PM IST: In the first leg of the fixture, Rajasthan Royals chased down Royal Challengers Bangalore's 158 in a last-ball thriller for a seven-wicket win.
7:20 PM IST RR have a realistic chance. They can still have 14 points and withe two big wins, the inaugural champions of IPL can still sneak in with better run rate. But a defeat tonight, and it's not...
7:15 PM IST: Meanwhile, probable XIs are
RCB: Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Heinrich Klaasen/Shimron Hetmyer, Gurkeerat Mann, Marcus Stoinis, Tim Southee/Mohammad Siraj, Washington Sundar, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal
RR: Ajinkya Rahane, Liam Livingstone, Sanju Samson (wk), Steve Smith (c), Ashton Turner, Riyan Parag, Stuart Binny, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Oshane Thomas, Varun Aaron
7:12 PM IST: As things stand now, it's all mathematical. The most that RCB can have is 12 points and no team has ever qualified for the playoffs with that many points. It will take unthinkable circumstances for RCB to finish top four. So, what they can do is go out with a bang.
7:05 PM IST: These two teams first need to win their respective remaining matches then hope for favourable results in other fixtures. It's an endless maze of permutations and combinations, usually the end of the season flavour.
7:00 PM IST: No one will deny that. Both the teams are still in contention for the playoffs. But in reality, it's something else. In such a scenario, the fight becomes more about respect, in this case, a 'royal' one and about personal rivalries.
