April 25th 2024.
In a thrilling match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajat Patidar's powerful display of batting was a sight to behold. It was a sharp contrast to the careful and strategic approach of RCB's captain, Virat Kohli, who was focused on giving the strike to Patidar. This tactic was questioned by Sunil Gavaskar on air, but it ultimately proved to be a wise decision as RCB posted a formidable total of 206 for seven.
Patidar and Kohli had an impressive partnership of 65 runs, with Patidar taking the lead in scoring. But it was not without some timely strikes from Cameron Green and Swapnil Singh in the death overs that RCB was able to cross the 200-run mark. The first three overs saw RCB coming out all guns blazing, with Kohli and Faf du Plessis taking on the SRH bowlers, even their captain Pat Cummins who conceded 19 runs in his first over.
Despite the strong start, RCB could only reach 61 for 1 by the end of the powerplay. Du Plessis was caught off guard by a slow short ball from T Natarajan, giving Aiden Markram an easy catch at mid-off. Will Jacks, on the other hand, went for a wild slog sweep and was bowled by leg-spinner Mayank Markande, leaving RCB at 65 for two in seven overs. This was when Kohli and Patidar stepped up to keep the innings going.
As the spinners put pressure on the batters, it was a tough phase for RCB. But Kohli's strategy of rotating the strike and Patidar's aggressive batting broke the shackles. In the 11th over, Patidar smashed four consecutive sixes off Markande, with the last one being a wide and loopy delivery that he dispatched over extra cover. It took Patidar only 19 balls to reach his fifty, while Kohli, the leading run-getter in the IPL, took 37 balls.
With SRH known for their ability to chase down 250-plus totals, the game was far from over. But RCB's strong total would put them in a good position to defend their lead. It was a thrilling match that kept fans on the edge of their seats, and we can only wait and see how SRH will respond to this formidable target set by RCB.
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