Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra hailed Rajat Patidar after Royal Challengers Bengaluru registered a 12-run win against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Monday. Patidar continued his good form, scoring a fine knock of 64 runs off just 32 balls with the help of five fours and four maximums.
The RCB captain completed his fifty off just 25 balls as he batted at the top of his game. The right-hander was able to hit the ground running against the spinners and played a key role in helping RCB post a par score of 221 runs on the board.
This was Patidar’s ninth fifty in the IPL and second of the season.
“The biggest headline is Rajat Patidar, the captain, and Rajat Patidar, the batter. What a guy. He is not a celebrated Indian cricketer. He played for India but was then dropped. You were made the captain of a huge franchise, and there was responsibility on you,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
In this season, RCB has defeated CSK for the first time since 2008 at Chepauk and claimed a win against MI after 10 years at Wankhede.
“He didn’t come with the baggage of having not defeated Chennai in Chennai for 17 years and Mumbai in Mumbai for 10 years, as he was not part of those teams, but he is the captain. So the effect is there. How well he batted. He was going at a run-a-ball for the first 10 balls,” he added.
The reputed commentator tipped Patidar as the best Indian middle-order batter in the IPL and also hailed his captaincy.
“Mumbai had game plans against him, but he demolished all of them. In terms of hitting form, no Indian batter is playing better than him in the middle overs. If anyone comes close to him, it’s Suryakumar Yadav. His captaincy goes unnoticed, completely under the radar. He might not be a celebrated name as a captain, but he was on point,” Chopra observed.
On the other hand, Chopra also praised Jitesh Sharma, who scored an unbeaten cameo of 19-ball 40. The wicket-keeper also swept Trent Boult for a six and the former KKR player feels it might be the shot of the tournament.
“The second story was of Jitesh Sharma. He batted incredibly well in the last match and did so in this match as well. In my opinion, he has hit the shot of the tournament. He swept a Trent Boult ball, which was almost a yorker, for a six – outstanding,” he said.
Chopra also lauded Virat Kohli, who scored a crucial knock of 67 runs off just 42 balls.
“Virat Kohli also scored runs. There was an interesting trivia that this was his first fifty off less than 30 balls. I was surprised. He also came with intent and hit a six off the first ball he faced from (Jasprit) Bumrah,” Chopra observed.
RCB will next take on Delhi Capitals at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Thursday.
