RCB GET OUT OF FIX
Snatch nervy victory after Rajat smashes century
The Royal Challengers Bangalore ramped up a mountain of runs against Lucknow Super Giants in their all-important IPL Eliminator, and then soon began to squander the massive advantage, dropping jaws all around.
The match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata swung wildly much in tune with the T20 nature of the game before LSG fell 14 short of the RCB’s 207 but several pockets in the contest left observers shaking their heads in disgust.
The dollies and goof-ups gifted, on which LSG capitalised and came rattling back into the match, raised many an eyebrow. It appeared the RCB did their best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Conceding a flurry of sixes towards the business end of the match, bowlers of international repute sending down a series of wides and world class players fumbling in the field to leak runs did not go down well with the cricket connoisseurs and commoners alike.
Mohammed Siraj getting hit for 41 runs in his four overs, his pace partner Josh Hazelwood bowling three wides in the penultimate over with the match narrowing and Glenn Maxwell falling all over a shot that raced to the boundary right under him were scenes that triggered furious faces, angry gestures and wicked whispers.
However, RCB managed to sneaked through, to a virtual semifinal against Rajasthan Royals on
Friday, for another fight.
Earlier, little-known domestic bulwark Rajat Patidar literally owned the biggest stage of his nascent career with a magnificent hundred.
Courtesy Patidar’s 54ball-112 not out which had
12 fours and seven huge sixes, RCB literally knocked the stuffing out of LSG attack, piling an imposing 207 for 4 in 20 overs.
For LSG, the only saving grace was Mohsin Khan’s superb figures of 1 for 25.
In reply, KL Rahul’s 78 off 59 balls didn’t make much of an impact save beefing his individual run-tally as LSG finished on 193 for 6 after 20 overs.
While Rahul helped himself to three fours and five sixes but his 96-run stand with Deepak Hooda (45) did keep LSG in the fight a total of six boundaries
compared to 14 sixes told a different story.
On a day their famed batting duo trio of Faf du Plessis (0), Glenn Maxwell (9) and Virat Kohli (25) failed to enthrall a capacity Eden crowd, RCB’s No. 3 Patidar played out of his skin as 90 runs came in fours and sixes off just 19 balls. The 28-year-old looked effortless with his slices, punches and drives to tower over the rest.