Veteran Australian player Brad Hodge's forceful innings has steered his Indian Premier League (IPL) side Rajasthan Royals to victory against the Otago Volts in Jaipur on Tuesday in their Champions League Twenty20 clash.
Hodge smashed an unbeaten 52 off 23 balls, hitting three sixes and five fours, leaving the Royals to maintain an all-win record in the league, which also gave them the advantage of playing their semifinal at home.
According to Sport24, the victory clinched Group A of the Champions League T20 for the Royals, who can now prepare for the first semifinal at the same venue on Friday.
Although New Zealander James Neesham scored 32 and took three wickets for the Volts, which crucially reduced the margin of defeat, his efforts were not enough to extend Volts' remarkable record of 15 straight T20 wins.
Although the Volts remain second in the group, a good win for the Mumbai Indians against the Perth Scorchers could still see them eliminated from the tournament, the report added.