IPL 8 Eliminator: Indian supporting cast at RCB takes center stage in a Royal rout

There was not a single preview of yesterday’s eliminator between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore that did not mention the names of Mitchell Starc, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli. “Starc difference as Royals challenge Bangalore,” said the headline in the Indian Express, echoing the sentiments of the majority of the analysts, and with good reason. This was billed as the battle of the box-office superstars of RCB versus the moneyball-experts, RR. But at the M.C.A international stadium in Pune, the supporting cast of RCB outshone the top-billed cast as Mandeep Singh, Sreenath Aravind, Harshal Patel and Yuzhvendra Chahal – but mostly Mandeep Singh – led Bangalore to an easy 71 run victory over Rajasthan Royals. [caption id=“attachment_2224154” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Mandeep Singh was one of the Indian youngsters to shine on the night for RCB. Photo: Sportzpics[/caption] Of course, the man of the match award went to AB de Villiers for his ‘well-constructed’ 66 off 38 balls. But while he was playing it cautiously, like a tiger prowling behind the bushes trying to size up the kill, Mandeep came to the crease and sunk his teeth in at the Royals’ bowlers straight away. Rajasthan’s good start – restricting RCB to 60-2 in the first 10 overs – on a pitch that remained lively throughout the night suddenly didn’t amount to much. Mandeep and De Villiers put on 113 runs in 66 balls to effectively put the tie beyond the Royals. “I honestly don’t know how we got to 180. I was communicating with the boys at the beginning and was looking at 140. But the way Mandeep Singh played today, it is a man of the match performance from him,” said de Villiers after the match. “The trophy is going to him.” On a pitch that Gayle and Kohli found tough to read, Mandeep and de Villiers applied themselves beautifully. While Mandeep cut and pulled effectively, de Villiers took on the mid-wicket and cover boundaries. Royals erred in both line and length, with only Dhawal Kulkarni taking what the pitch had to offer early on. In the end, Bangalore plundered 120 runs from the last 10 overs to put on a score that Steven Smith thought was 20 above par. As it turned out, that would be an understatement. RCB’s bowling attack never let Royals get a grip on the game. But it wasn’t a Starc-led defence. He was, in fact, targeted by Watson and Smith early on, as he conceded 17 from his first two wicket-less overs. The Aussie quick was clearly bothered by a sore back and was having trouble hitting top-speed. Step forward, Sreenath Aravind and Harshal Patel. Sensing the chance to make an impact, both the Indian pacers zipped the ball around, bowling the occasional sharp bouncer at the batsmen. The two of them accounted for Watson, Samson, Karun Nair and Faulkner. Chahal was not be overshadowed by the Indian pace duo either. He kept it tight in the middle overs, conceding in just ones and twos as the scoreboard pressure mounted on Rahane and the rest of the Royals’ middle-order. It eventually proved to be too much to handle for Rahane who swept a well-flighted leg spinner into fine leg’s hands. Starc’s first wicket on the night, when it came eventually, was the eighth Royals batsman to fall. While his injury would be a definite concern for Virat Kohli, he will lead his men to face the Super Kings at Ranchi knowing full well that the rest of the bowling attack is battle-ready.