Unsold at the auction, brought in mid-way into the team as a replacement, in a knockout match of IPL 2022, Rajat Patidar produced an innings of breathtaking quality and finished unbeaten on 112 against Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator in Kolkata on Wednesday.
IPL 2022 Eliminator, LSG vs RCB as it happened: Patidar, Harshal star as RCB win by 14 runs
Patidar scored 12 fours and 7 sixes during his stunning unbeaten 54-ball knock. He received two reprieves from LSG fielders, once in the 70s and once in the 90s. But by that point he had already played a blinder and the three-figure mark was the icing on the cake.
Patidar, the right-handed batter, had previously represented the RCB franchise last season, and again joined the franchise for the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League at a base price of Rs 20 Lakh after Luvnith Sisodia got injured.
And entering the playoffs, he had flashes of brilliance at No 3... and at Eden Gardens, in front of packed stands, in RCB’s biggest game of the season so far, he produced one of the all-time great playoff batting efforts. In domestic cricket, where he plays for Madhya Pradesh, Patidar had scored half-centuries under his belt. It was a brilliant time to get his first ton.
Update: And it turned to be a match-winning one.
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