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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Rajat Patidar continued his incredible run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs with a sensational 33-ball 93 against Gujarat Titans (GT) at Dharamsala on Tuesday.
During the Qualifier one clash, with both teams battling for a direct spot in the final, Patidar came in clutch with a 33-ball 93*, including five fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 281.82. Now in six IPL playoff innings, Patidar has made 338 runs at an average of 112.66 and a strike rate of 193.14, including a century and two fifties. His 112* against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2022 edition Eliminator stays one of the finest knocks played by an RCB batter. He has slammed a total of 25 fours and 24 sixes in the IPL playoffs, with only Suresh Raina (40), MS Dhoni (28) and Kieron Pollard (25) having managed more sixes. Rajat is enjoying a tournament of his life, with 486 runs in 13 innings at an average of 44.18 and a strike rate of 196.76, including five fifties and a best score of 93*. He has smashed 29 fours and 41 sixes so far in 247 balls faced, averaging 3.5 balls per boundary shot. Coming to the match, RCB was put to bat first by GT, with Venkatesh Iyer (19 in six balls) out quickly. Later, Virat Kohli (43 in 25 balls, with five fours and a six) and Devdutt Padikkal (30 in 19 balls, with five fours) put a stand of 72 runs for the second wicket. After Jason Holder (2/39) got rid off both the batters, Patidar had a 95-run stand with Krunal Pandya (43 in 28 balls, with five fours and two sixes). Patidar went ballistic towards the end, scoring his unbeaten 93* in 33 balls, alongside Jitesh Sharma (15* in five balls), taking RCB to 254/5, their third-best total ever and the best-ever total in an IPL playoff match. Kagiso Rabada (2/39) was also among the wickets at the other end. (ANI)
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