Rajat Patidar Century Powers Royal Challengers Bangalore Past Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022 Eliminator
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) moved one step closer to the IPL 2022 final after defeating Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Eliminator match, driven by a dominant batting performance from Rajat Patidar.
Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and elected to bowl first, hoping to take advantage of the wet and clammy conditions which were expected to make chasing easier. However, RCB built a massive total of 207/4, largely due to Patidar's maiden IPL century, before restricting LSG in their chase.
Patidar Powers the RCB Innings
Rajat Patidar was the standout performer of the match, scoring an unbeaten 112 runs off just 54 balls. His innings featured a display of drives, flicks, and swiveling sixes, with the ball consistently finding the middle of his bat.
Patidar's fluent knock stood out on a day when other prominent batsmen struggled to find their timing. Virat Kohli managed 25 runs off 24 balls, while Dinesh Karthik finished unbeaten on 37 runs off 23 balls. Despite the timing difficulties faced by his teammates, Patidar anchored the innings and accelerated the scoring rate significantly.
Late Surge and Costly Fielding Lapses
Royal Challengers Bangalore capitalised on the final overs of their innings, plundering 85 runs off the last 30 balls to push their total past the 200-run mark.
Lucknow Super Giants struggled in the field, missing key opportunities to dismiss RCB's key batsmen. The LSG captain dropped Dinesh Karthik at mid-off, while Rajat Patidar was also dropped at deep mid-wicket when he was on 79 runs. These missed chances allowed RCB to finish their 20 overs with momentum firmly on their side.
LSG Chase Falls Short
Chasing 208 for victory, Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul led the fightback with a knock of 79 runs off 58 balls. He found support from Deepak Hooda, who contributed a quickfire 45 runs off 26 balls.
Despite their efforts, the rest of the Lucknow batting lineup could not keep up with the required run rate. RCB bowler Josh Hazlewood delivered the decisive blow to LSG's hopes, taking three wickets for 45 runs to secure the victory for Royal Challengers Bangalore and end Lucknow's campaign.
