Rajasthan Royals (RR) veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had a few words with Rovman Powell after his team knocked out Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets in the IPL 2024 Eliminator at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, May 22.
With a target of 173, Rajasthan Royals chased it down with an over to spare. Yashasvi Jaiswal led the RR's run-chase with a knock of 45 off 30 balls while Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer contributed with an innings of 36 and 26, respectively.
The middle-order batter Rovman Powell hit the winning runs in the penultimate over to take the team past the finishing line and played an unbeaten cameo innings of 16 runs off 8 balls at a strike rate of 200.
However, Rovman Powell played a couple of dot balls after hitting two fours on the trot in the 19th over of the run-chase. On the final ball of the over, the West Indies all-rounder hit a six straight down the ground to finish off the game.
While walking back to the dressing room after the win, Ravichandran Ashwin told Powell that never play for a single but rather to look for a boundary. Ashwin was visibly unhappy with Powell for playing two dot balls when Rajasthan Royals needed just five runs off seven balls to secure a win.
"Don’t take this in wrong way. When you’re looking for a single, don’t look to play it for single. Look for a boundary." Ashwin told Powell after the match.
With a win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2024 Eliminator, Rajasthan Royals finally broke five-match winless streak and will play in the Qualifier 2 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, who lost to Kolkata Knight Riders at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 21.
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's wait for their first IPL trophy continues as their campaign in the IPL 2024 has come to an end with the defeat.
'Today's win was important': R Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin, who was adjudged Player of the Match for brilliant spell of 2/19 with an economy rate of 4.80 in four overs, said that the win was important to end RR's five-match winless streak as well as keeping their hopes alive to win the IPL trophy.
Veteran off-spinner added that he had an abodmen injury and thus, his body wasn't moving too well in the first half of the season.
"Today's win was important. We were a bit rusty chasing it, but this win will give us some confidence." Ashwin said at the post-match presentation
"In the first half, I felt my body wasn't moving too well for the first half of the season. I had an abdomen injury as well. I am aging as well. To come into the tournament from Test cricket was difficult, I needed some time to get that bowling rhythm." he added.
In IPL 2024, Ravichandran Ashwin has picked 9 wickets at an average of 47.11 and an economy rate of 8.31 in 14 matches.
