"Loved every minute of my first IPL...": RCB's Will Jacks departs for England's T20I series against Pakistan
May 14, 2024
New Delhi [India], May 14 : England and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Will Jacks, who is returning back home for his side's T20 series against Pakistan, expressed on Tuesday that he liked every minute of his debut Indian Premier League (IPL) and thanked everyone who was involved in making his experience memorable, including the "amazing" fans of his team.
England players Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Will Jacks and Reece Topley have left their respective Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise to join the national senior's side for the T20 series against Pakistan starting from May 22 onwards.
Taking to Instagram, Jacks wrote, "I've loved every minute of my first @iplt20. A massive thank you to everyone involved @royalchallengers.bengaluru. RCB fans you have been amazing #PlayBold."
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In eight matches for RCB, Jacks scored 230 runs at an average of 32.85 and a strike rate of over 175, with a century and fifty. His best score is 100*. He also took two wickets for his side. He was brought by RCB ahead of the 2023 season, but could not feature back then due to injury.
A very big moment of his IPL career so far was the carnage he unleashed on Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 28. Chasing 201 to win, Jacks reached his half-century in 31 balls. Within the span of the next 10 balls, Jacks raced to his maiden IPL ton, achieving the fastest-ever acceleration for a century in the tournament's history. Jacks' scored an unbeaten 100* in 41 balls, with five fours and 10 sixes and had an explosive 166-run stand with star batter Virat Kohli, who himself scored an unbeaten 70* in 44 balls in a successful run-chase.
RCB continued with their second-half surge, making it five wins in five matches and climbing up to the fifth spot with a 47-run win over DC at their home ground of M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. After losing seven of the first eight league games, RCB has turned their season around with five successive wins to keep their playoff hopes alive.
RCB's fifth consecutive win has catapulted them to fifth place on the points table, a position that appeared practically unattainable three weeks ago when they fell by a run to KKR, their sixth defeat in a row. They currently have 12 points, with a potential to reach 14 when they play CSK in their final league game. The Men in Yellow have 14 points. A win in this game might offer them a chance to enter the playoffs, but only if other outcomes go their way since SRH and LSG (two games left for each side, both have 12 points) can both advance to 16 points and knock RCB out.
