IPL 2018: Overs that changed the course of the game

#4 Shreyas Gopal’s rattles RCB’s playoffs chances with two wickets in one over (May 19)

Shreyas Gopal's four-over spell derailed RCB's chase.

It was a virtual knockout game. Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore were doing well at the fag end of the season and both of them had a chance to qualify for the playoffs going into the final weekend of the league phase.

Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to bat first. The home side put up a very good batting performance as they racked up 164 on what looked like a tricky surface. RCB lost their skipper Virat Kohli early in the chase as Krishnappa Gowtham castled him. But despite that dismissal, RCB were going very well. Parthiv Patel and AB de Villiers combined really well and took them to 74/1 in 8 overs. But then came the twist.

Bowling his second over of the game, Shreyas Gopal nipped out Parthiv Patel and Moeen Ali in the same over to turn the game decisively in RR’s favour. He first had Parthiv stumped as he dragged his back foot out of the crease while going for the cut shot and Buttler dislodged the bails.

But then Moeen Ali, who was the star for RCB in the previous game (against SRH), was out caught and bowled as he failed to read the googly.

74/1 suddenly became 77/3 as RCB then continued to lose wickets and despite AB de Villiers’ half-century, they couldn’t get over the line. To hit the final nail in the coffin, Gopal dismissed ABD as well, a few overs later.