Hyderabad (Telangana): Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Rajat Patidar smashed the joint second-fastest half-century for the franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history. He achieved this incredible landmark during the clash between RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal here on Thursday.
Patidar notched up his fifty in a mere 19 balls, with two fours and five sixes, four of which came in the one over of leg-spinner Mayank Markande. His runs came at a strike rate of 250.00. With this brisk fifty, he shares the record with former Indian batter Robin Uthappa for the second-fastest half-century by an RCB batter.
Former Bengaluru opener Chris Gayle, who played for RCB from 2011 to 2017, leads the fastest fifty chart for the franchise with 17 balls half-century against Pune Warriors India (PWI) back in 2013, when he smashed the highest-ever individual score (175 off 66 balls) of the IPL history.
In nine matches of the ongoing season, the 30-year-old has scored 211 runs at an average of 26.38 and a strike rate of 175.83. In his first four innings, he could score just 50 runs at an average of 12.50, but then picked his form and smashed 161 runs in the next four games at an average of 40.25, with three half-centuries. Also, his strike rate shot up massively in these four innings, striking between 180-250.
Coming to the match, RCB decided to bat after winning the toss. Skipper Faf Du Plessis (25 off 12 balls) and Virat Kohli got the team off to a brisk start in the first three overs of the powerplay. However, then the scoring rate slowed down. Rajat Patidar (50 off 20 balls) then upped the ante as Kohli (51 off 43 balls) was struggling with this strike rate and injected life into RCB's innings.
Kohli failed to capitalise on his fine start during the powerplay. Despite some quick wickets, cameos from Cameron Green (37 not out) and Swapnil Singh (12 not out) took RCB to 206/7 in their 20 overs. Jaydev Unadkat (3/30) and T Natrajan (2/39) were the top bowlers for SRH, while Pat Cummins and Mayank Markande took a wicket each.
In the run-chase, SRH kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Except for Abhishek Sharma (31 in 13 balls), none of Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, and Nitish Reddy failed to make their stay longer. Skipper Cummins (31 in 15 balls) and Shahbaz Ahmed (40 in 37 balls) tried to take the game deep, but SRH was restricted to 171 in their 20 overs.
Green (2/12) and Karn Sharma (2/29) were the top bowlers for RCB. Swapnil Singh, who made his debut, also took two wickets for 40 runs. He sent Klassen and Markram back to the pavilion in his first over. Will Jacks and Yash Dayal also got a wicket each.
RCB finally secured a victory by ending their six-match losing streak. Patidar was adjudged as 'Player of the Match'. Despite winning the game and with two wins, seven losses, and four points, RCB are still at the bottom of the points table because of the poor Net Run Rate to Punjab Kings, who have also won only two out of eight matches of the season so far. SRH is in the third spot with five wins, three losses, and 10 points.
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