Top 5 knocks by an RR batter in IPL playoffs ft. Jos Buttler

Rajasthan Royals (RR) are all set to lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Eliminator of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host this exciting contest.

The Royals finished third in the points table with eight wins in the league stage. Surprisingly, RR could not secure victories in any of the five games in May, with the last game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ending as a wash-out.

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru-based franchise have secured six wins on the trot and are in terrific momentum. They prevailed over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 27 runs in their last outing to seal the playoffs spot.

On that note, let's take a look at the five finest knocks by a Royals batter in cash-rich league history:

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#5 Shane Watson - 52 off 29, IPL 2008

In the first semi-final of IPL 2008, Rajasthan Royals faced Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). They got off to a decent start with Swapnil Asnodkar (39) and Graeme Smith (25).

Shane Watson arrived at No. 4 and continued the team's momentum with a counter-attacking approach. The Australian all-rounder slammed 52 off 29 balls, with four fours and three sixes. Yusuf Pathan then smoked 45 off 21 balls to boost RR to 192.

In response, Tillakaratne Dilshan (33) was the only notable contributor, as Delhi were all-out for 87 and lost by 105 runs.

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#4 Brad Hodge - 54* off 29, IPL 2013

The Eliminator game of IPL 2013 saw the Royals taking on the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Shikhar Dhawan (33) top-scored for SRH as they accumulated only 132 on the board.

The top-order batters couldn't provide a good start to RR. However, it was Brad Hodge, who took it upon himself and played with a positive intent. Hodge mustered 54* off 29 balls, with two fours and five maximums. As a result, RR won the game in the last over.

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#3 Yusuf Pathan - 56 off 39, IPL 2008

The IPL 2008 finale was certainly the finest all-round performance, Yusuf Pathan, delivered in the cash-rich league. Batting first, Chennai Super Kings posted 163 on the board, with Pathan picking up three wickets.

After being reduced to 42/3, Pathan did well to soak up the pressure and bring back the team's momentum. He slammed 56 off 39 before being run out in the 18th over. However, his contribution paved the way for RR to lift the IPL title.

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#2 Jos Buttler - 89 off 56, IPL 2022

In Qualifier 1 of IPL 2022, the Royals met the Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens. After Yashasvi Jaiswal (3) was dismissed, Jos Buttler joined forces with Sanju Samson (47) to stitch a 68-run stand.

Buttler continued to play second fiddle along with Devdutt Padikkal (28), which put the team on the front foot. The Englishman went on to slam 89 off 56 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes, resulting in RR posting 188 on the board.

In response, the Titans chased down the score in the last over, with David Miller (68*) emerging as the top contributor.

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#1 Jos Buttler - 106* off 60, IPL 2022

In a crucial Qualifier 2 game of IPL 2022, Rajasthan Royals were up against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Batting first, RCB could only post 157 on the board, with Rajat Patidar (58) as the highest run-scorer.

Jos Buttler then smashed 10 fours and six maximums to slam 106* off 60 balls to help the Royals seal the chase with 11 balls to spare. The other key contributors were Yashasvi Jaiswal (21) and Sanju Samson (23).