Patidar, Jitesh go berserk in MI vs RCB, make mockery of Hardik Pandya’s bowling with barrage of sixes and fours
Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma stitched together a 50-run partnership off only 17 balls.
It was pure power-hitting as Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma proved to be key for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their hunt for a 200-plus total, on Monday. Travelling to the Wankhede Stadium to face Mumbai Indians, RCB had only one objective in mind, which was to take on the opposition bowlers.
Despite the early dismissal of opener Phil Salt (4) in the first over, RCB didn’t let the pressure get to them as former skipper Virat Kohli began the onslaught with new batter Devdutt Padikkal.
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Kohli took on the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult with some explosive batting, and Padikkal (37 off 22 balls) took on the support role. Kohli hammered eight fours and two sixes, and smacked 67 runs off 42 balls.
During the death overs, Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma kept up the tempo for RCB, and began smacking bowlers with ease. The 17th over leaked 23 runs and it saw Patidar smack two sixes and two fours, also reaching his half-century.
In the second delivery of the over, Patidar received a full delivery from Hardik Pandya, and he clobbered it over the bowler’s head for a six and for his half-century. Then he made back-to-back sixes in the next ball, pulling Hardik square on the leg-side. It didn’t stop as Pandya got smacked for a four in the next ball and then sent a wide. After his wide, Pandya responded with a single, but then was hammered again for a four.
50-run partnership, only off 17 balls
The pair got to their 50-run partnership in the next over, only off 17 balls. Patidar was eventually dismissed by Trent Boult in the final delivery of the 19th over. The 19th over also saw Jitesh pummel Boult for two massive sixes. In the final over, Jitesh took on Bumrah in the fifth ball, powering him for an 83m six over wide long-on.
Jitesh was almost dismissed in the final ball. Receiving a yorker from Bumrah, he tried to glance it leg-side, and missed. The ball hit him on the boot and the impact was outside off. The umpire gave him out lbw, and he reviewed it, there was no bat involved, and RCB posted 221/5 in 20 overs.
