22-05-2025
Royal Challengers eye a top-two finish as they clash with LSG
In 1925, Jack Hobbs' first innings at The Oval, after he'd passed W.G. Grace's record of 126 career centuries, was greeted by spectators hurling their bowler hats in the air in an apparent tribute to the Surrey legend.
A century later, in the T20 franchise era, we saw cricket's tradition of public fan homage continue at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the ongoing IPL last week. Spectators in white Test jerseys, figuratively tipping their hats off to a glorious Test career in a T20 match - that may be a first! The crowd may have felt bittersweet as rain dampened their celebration of Virat Kohli.
A greater tribute would be RCB winning the IPL trophy for Kohli. In a way, RCB, having qualified for the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons, finds itself in the position of an escape artiste, who, having entered a strongbox blindfolded, handcuffed, and straitjacketed, faces the moment of truth. Can he pull off the trick? Can RCB finally win the trophy?
To give itself the best chance, it should try and finish in the top two in the league table. And that's what is at stake as it takes on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Ekana Stadium here on Friday.
SRH comes off the high of completing a record successful chase (206) at the Ekana versus Lucknow Super Giants a few days ago.
RCB, on the other hand, will look to resume its winning habit after a week-long suspension of the league and an abandoned match.
