RCB beat LSG in Eliminator Rajat Patidar hits 49-ball century

KOLKATA: Rajat Patidar produced a knock for the ages, slamming a 49-ball century to help Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Lucknow Super Giants by 14 runs in the IPL 2022 Eliminator at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday night.

After scoring 207/4 in 20 overs, RCB restricted the debutant at 193 in allotted overs by taking 6 wickets.

Lucknow Super Giants lost in-form opener Quinton de Kock in the first over. Manan Vohra went back in the fifth over after scoring 19 runs. Then skipper KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda added 96 runs in 61 balls before spinner Wanindu Hasaranga claimed the later. Hooda made 45 runs from 26 balls with 4 sixes. Rahul scored fighting 79 runs from 58 balls, but went in the penaltimate over by Josh Hazlewood. Lucknow needed 24 runs from the final over bowled by Harshal Patel, but managed 9 runs.

Earlier, Patidar slammed 12 boundaries and seven sixes for scoring an unbeaten 112 off just 54 balls, taking Lucknow's bowling attack to cleaners, especially in the last five overs which brought a whooping 84 runs with Dinesh Karthik providing finishing fireworks with an unbeaten 37.

Mohsin Khan provided the early breakthrough for Lucknow, sending back Faf du Plessis for a golden duck with a lovely delivery that nips away off the seam, luring the right-hander to nick one behind to keeper Quinton de Kock.

Bangalore benefitted from reprieves given by Lucknow, starting from KL Rahul dropping Dinesh Karthik at four and then dropping Patidar at 72. That set the tone for Patidar to unleash a carnage on Ravi Bishnoi, whacking three sixes and two boundaries from wide long-off to deep mid-wicket.

With Karthik taking three boundaries off Avesh, Patidar was again dropped on 93 and on the very next ball, pulled over deep mid-wicket for six to bring up a sensational century in 49 balls. The duo smacked 21 and 13 runs off the last two overs to help Bangalore cross 200-mark.

Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 207/4 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 112 not out, Dinesh Karthik 37 not out; Mohsin Khan 1/25, Krunal Pandya 1/39) beat Lucknow Super Giants 193/6 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 79, Deepak Hooda 45, Hazlewood 3/43, Harshal Patel 1/25).

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