Cricket: Kohli thanks Mumbai as Royal Challengers break into wild celebrations after qualifying for IPL playoffs

[banglabhai420]

There were delirious scenes in the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp after they qualified for the playoffs courtesy Mumbai Indians' five-wicket win over Delhi Capitals on Saturday. Royal Challengers were on 16 points and Capitals on 14 ahead of the game, but Capitals only needed a win to make it to the playoffs because of their superior net run-rate.

On the other hand, Royal Challengers' hopes of making it to the final four rested on the already-eliminated Mumbai's shoulders, and the Rohit Sharma-led side did not disappoint them. Led by Jasprit Bumrah's three-wicket burst and Tim David's 11-ball 34, Mumbai chased down the 160-run target, prompting wild celebrations in the Royal Challengers' unit at their hotel.

In a video shared on their social media accounts, the entire Royal Challengers camp is seen sitting in a group watching the game. And as soon as Ramandeep Singh hit Khaleel Ahmed for the winning boundary in the last over, they went into a frenzy. There was fist-pumping, hugging, and loud hooting followed by chants of 'RCB, RCB'.

"It was so good, I think first of all it was really nice to see that everyone was here from the start of the game, so we watched it together," Faf du Plessis, the Royal Challengers captain, said after his team qualified for the playoffs.

"We were all shouting for every wicket that Mumbai got and then when they are chasing every boundary. It's good for everyone to watch together and then the celebration towards the end was awesome to be a part of.

"The last game we played we felt almost like we played our best game of cricket of this campaign so far and that is how you want to enter the knockout stages, so we needed someone to do us a favour and Mumbai did that for us, we are very thankful for that. Obviously now the work starts again, and we get our work mode back on. "

The Royal Challengers' social media team had turned their logo blue showing their support to Mumbai ahead of the all-important clash. The match-winner David, who had represented Royal Challengers in the past, said he got a text from du Plessis on Saturday morning. It was a picture of him, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell, all dressed in Mumbai colours.

Kohli, who was easily the most animated in the video, thanked the Mumbai team for helping them knock out Capitals.

"It was unbelievable. The emotions in the changing room were unbelievable. Thank you, Mumbai, we will remember this one," Kohli said.

Maxwell was more vocal in his celebrations. Addressing the entire camp atop a table, the allrounder said that while they needed the help of another team to reach the final four, how the rest of the tournament pans out is "all on us."

"Amazing result for us tonight. There is just one small step in us going further, we are that close to making history for RCB in this tournament. We needed another team, but from now on it's all us," Maxwell said.

Royal Challengers will now face Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator, on May 24. The match will be played at Eden Gardens, in Kolkata.

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