*India — May 2016*
The IPL 2016 league stage had played out like a cinematic epic. High-octane clashes, last-ball thrillers, surprise heroes, and heartbreaks littered the two-month campaign. Yet as the final league game concluded, one team stood roaring atop the points table — Royal Challengers Bangalore.
**Final League Table - IPL 2016:**
1. **RCB** – 18 points
2. **Gujarat Lions** – 16 points
3. **Sunrisers Hyderabad** – 16 points
4. **Kolkata Knight Riders** – 14 points
With a late-season surge driven by Kohli's dominance, AB de Villiers' pyrotechnics, and Ishaan Verma's youthful flair, RCB marched into the playoffs with serious momentum.
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### Qualifier 1: RCB vs Gujarat Lions
*Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru*
The evening sky in Bengaluru shimmered crimson as the familiar echo of chants, horns, and music wrapped around Chinnaswamy like thunder. Red smoke drifted across the stands. This was not just a match. It was a reckoning.
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### Toss & Teams
"Heads," said Virat Kohli confidently.
"Tails it is," declared the match referee. Raina, calm as ever, chose to bowl first. The dew factor was in play, and Gujarat was banking on chasing under lights.
**RCB XI:**
1. Chris Gayle
2. Virat Kohli (C)
3. AB de Villiers
4. Ishaan Verma
5. Kedar Jadhav (wk)
6. Shane Watson
7. Stuart Binny
8. Sarfaraz Khan
9. Yuzvendra Chahal
10. Adam Milne
11. Sreenath Aravind
**GL XI:**
1. Brendon McCullum
2. Aaron Finch
3. Suresh Raina (C)
4. Dinesh Karthik (wk)
5. Ravindra Jadeja
6. Dwayne Bravo
7. James Faulkner
8. Pravin Tambe
9. Dhawal Kulkarni
10. Shivil Kaushik
11. Dale Steyn
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### RCB Innings — Commentary Highlights
**Over 1.4 – Faulkner to Gayle:**
Length ball, dispatched! Gayle muscles it over cow corner for six. The big man's in the mood.
**Over 4.3 – Kulkarni to Gayle:**
Slower delivery, and he mistimes! Straight to mid-off. Gayle gone for 26. Crowd silenced momentarily.
**Over 6.5 – Bravo to Kohli:**
Down the track and BANG! Over long-on. Kohli in control — this is vintage.
**Over 10.3 – Jadeja to Kohli:**
Flighted ball, Kohli chips... Finch dives! What a catch! Kohli gone for 48 off 31.
And with that, Ishaan Verma walked out — helmet on, jaw firm.
**Over 10.4 – Steyn to Ishaan:**
First ball: pitched up. Ishaan drives... FOUR! What a start — elegance and timing.
**Stump mic:**
"Shot, chhote! That's how you introduce yourself to Steyn!" – AB from non-striker's end.
**Over 11.2 – Steyn to Ishaan:**
Short one, he rocks back — pulled cleanly! One bounce, four more.
**Over 14.3 – Kaushik to Ishaan:**
He reads the googly early, reverse sweeps... FOUR!
**Over 14.4 – Kaushik again:**
Down the track... high and handsome! SIX over long-on. This is fearless batting.
**Over 16.3 – Faulkner to Ishaan:**
Full and wide — drilled through extra cover. That's fifty for Ishaan Verma! Off just 19 balls!
*RCB Dugout erupts. Kohli claps furiously. AB smiles, nudges Gayle.*
**AB:** "See? Told you he'd rise in the big games."
**Final Score:** 207/3 in 20 overs
AB de Villiers: 74\* (39)
Ishaan Verma: 56\* (21)
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### GL Innings — Collapse & Chahal's Magic
**Over 3.1 – Milne to Finch:**
Bowled him! Absolute peach. Stumps knocked back. GL: 27/1.
**Over 5.4 – Watson to McCullum:**
Short ball — miscued! Taken at third man! Big wicket. Crowd on its feet.
**Over 9.2 – Chahal to Raina:**
And he's bowled! Classic leggie. Raina didn't pick it.
**Stump mic:**
"That's how we spin it in Bengaluru!" – Chahal yells.
**Over 14.6 – Aravind to Bravo:**
Trying to go big — skies it! Ishaan under it at midwicket... takes it calmly. Bravo gone.
**Final Score:** Gujarat Lions 169/9 in 20 overs
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### Match Summary
**RCB wins by 38 runs.**
Fireworks explode over the Chinnaswamy. The crowd roars like a lion. The dugout floods the field. Kohli lifts his arms and hugs AB and then hugs Ishaan.
**Post-match Presentation:**
"Ishaan, you seem to find fifth gear when it matters most. What's the secret?"
"Just the jersey. The crowd. The badge. It does something to you."
Later that night, Ishaan opened his journal:
*"Playoffs. Pressure. And I answered. This is what dreams feel like. This is how they burn."*
**RCB through to the FINAL.**
And Bengaluru believed — this was the year.