'They are off the ventilator but still in ICU': Jadeja aptly sums up RCB's IPL 2024 playoff chances
Ajay Jadeja aptly summed up RCB's IPL 2024 playoff chances with a brilliant take on their resurgence.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru extended their winning streak to three matches, as they secured a four-wicket win against Gujarat Titans on Saturday. Chasing 148, RCB cruised to 152/6 in 13.4 overs. They had a strong start to the chase, with captain Faf du Plessis (64) and Virat Kohli (42) batting brilliantly. But then they lost some quick wickets and at one point were 117/6, slipping from 92/1.
But a late revival by Dinesh Karthik (21*) and Swapnil Singh (15*) saw RCB overcome GT comfortably. The RCB bowling department also finally found some form, wrapping up GT for 147 in 19.3 overs. Yash Dayal, Vyshak Vijay Kumar and Mohammed Siraj took two wickets each respectively.
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Speaking on JioCinema, former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja aptly summarised RCB's win, stating that 'they're off the ventilator but they're still in the ICU.' "The chinks in the armour are visible, what happened at the end. But the chance is there. They're off the ventilator but they're still in the ICU," he said.
"We are excited about today's match after seeing Virat and Faf bat. But the real work that was done, was by the bowlers, an aspect RCB has historically struggled at.
He also praised their bowling department for finally 'clicking' in IPL 2024. "The bowling department has started to click for them now, and we're talking about the business end of the season, this is the point where realistic chances of winning comes from momentum," he said.
Jadeja also felt that it was still 'tough' to predict if RCB would qualify for the playoffs. "More than momentum, it's about the mentality of the team where you know if you're in a bad situation, someone will take you out of it... Today, it seemed like RCB picked the right road while Gujarat was on the other side. Who will reach their goal? It's a very tough ask still," he said.
Furthermore, he praised Du Plessis' batting approach, pointing it out as the key difference in the game. "They came into the game differently from the start. I haven't checked the statistics, but I have never seen them start a game with a six. Not one, but two of them, in the first over, when there was no need. What Faf did, he was operating at a different pace. Later, there was some excitement in the match but at no point did it seem like this was (GT win) going to be successful," he said.
RCB are now seventh in the standings with eight points in 11 matches, packed with four wins and seven defeats. They face Punjab Kings in their upcoming match on Thursday and will look to extend their winning run.
