NEW DELHI: As Rajasthan Royals ended Virat Kohli's hopes of winning his first Indian Premier League title by defeating Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets in the Eliminator on Wednesday, the reaction of Virat's good friend and former RCB star AB de Villiers went viral on the internet.
RCB batters couldn't convert good starts into a formidable total with Kohli contributing 33 off 24 balls in a sub-par score of 172-8 after Rajasthan won the toss and elected to field.
Rajasthan stuttered briefly when Mohammed Siraj (2-33) picked up the wickets of Riyan Parag (36) and Shimron Hetmyer (26) in the 18th over before they reached 174-6 with an over to spare.
Rovman Powell (16 not out) struck Lockie Ferguson for two fours and followed it with a straight six to end RCB's winning run and Rajasthan's four-match losing streak.
The defeat ended RCB's brilliant comeback that saw them reach the playoffs on the back of six straight victories after they had lost seven of their first eight league games.
After RCB's defeat, AB de Villiers posted on X: "It's always painful to lose. But as a fan, I'm proud of the boys for making us believe, even when all hope seemed lost at the start of May. I'm sure #RCB will come back stronger next year and bring home that elusive title. #IPL2024"
AB de Villiers' reaction was clearly a heartbroken one when RCB lost the Eliminator.
The pictures show AB de Villiers' heart-breaking reactions while doing commentary. AB de Villiers played for RCB from 2011 to 2021.
Rajasthan had won eight of their first nine games before losing four in a row. They will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 on Friday with the winner advancing to Sunday's final against Kolkata Knight Riders.
1/9:IPL trophy eludes Virat Kohli after Bengaluru's loss to Rajasthan
<p>IPL trophy eludes Virat Kohli after Bengaluru's loss to Rajasthan</p>AFP
2/9:RCB Knocked Out
<p>Virat Kohli suffered more heartbreak as Royal Challengers Bengaluru were knocked out of the IPL after a four-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad.</p>AFP
3/9:Heatwave Challenges
<p>Ahmedabad remained hot, with temperatures soaring above 43 degrees Celsius, and over 85,000 fans turned up for the eliminator despite the heat.</p>AFP
4/9:Do-or-die play-off
<p>Rajasthan restricted RCB to 172-8, a total they overhauled with six balls to spare in the do-or-die play-off at the world's biggest cricket stadium.</p>AFP
5/9:Bengaluru's IPL Title Wait
<p>Bengaluru and Kohli extend their wait for a first IPL title, as Rajasthan will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last play-off on Friday in Chennai.</p>AFP
6/9:Kolkata's Final Berth
<p>Kolkata made their fourth IPL final after they hammered Hyderabad in the first play-off on Tuesday in Ahmedabad's intense heat.</p>AFP
7/9:Sensational Bowling
<p>Trent Boult, with figures of 1-16, and Ravichandran Ashwin, 2-19, played pivotal roles in a disciplined bowling attack for Rajasthan.</p>AFP
8/9:Rajasthan's Chase
<p>Rajasthan stuttered in their chase after Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson departed, but Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer got their chase back on track.</p>AFP
