Rajat Patidar, who recently made it into the limelight, has come a long way, before emerging as a hero for his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Patidar, yesterday (Wednesday, May 25), certainly owned the show at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
The Madhya Pradesh cricketer batting at No.3, unquestionably smashed LSG bowlers at a strike rate of 207.40! The right-hand batter, full of confidence and good cricketing shots, scored 112 runs in 54 balls, with 12 fours and 7 sixes; he went on carrying the bat.
Rajat Patidar’s IPL 2022 run has to be called ironic in a way. The 28-year-old was purchased by RCB back in IPL auction 2021, for the base price of INR 20 lakh. Although, he was released by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, before replacing injured RCB player Luvinth Sisodia, in the squad.
Patidar belongs to a family in a business that manufactures pipes for irrigation. He refused to carry on with the same thing and chose to emphasize his cricketing career.
Talking about the RCB batter’s journey over the years to the Indian Express, the Madhya Pradesh (MP) pacer Ishwar Pandey stated, “He always wanted to play cricket and his interest towards his family business was last. He just loved playing and the good part was that he never shied away from working hard.”
Pandey particularly added that Patidar has been a crisis man for MP, as the top-order batter has played several vital knocks for his domestic side.
“Rajat sankat-mochan hai hamare team ka [Rajat is the problem-solver (another name for Lord Hanuman) of our team]. He has played such kind of innings before but as none came on TV, people didn’t know about him earlier. Now that he has scored (on Wednesday night), he has certainly become the Hanuman of RCB,” Pandey added.
Over the moon with the way Rajat Patidar played – Faf du Plessis
Showering all the praise on the superstar of the night, the Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis said:
“Today was a special day. I am over the moon with the way Rajat played. In a match like today, it’s a bit more pressure. The way he played and celebrated his hundred, tells me that he’s got a good head on his shoulder. I thought our bowlers were clear and calm. Rajat has got all the shots and the way he attacks… Every time we are under a little bit of pressure, the way he comes and attacks. It is important to use the occasion and celebrate for the hard work we have done today,” he added.
Besides, with this success at the biggest stage in the world, Rajat Patidar will certainly be a player to watch out for in the upcoming, as RCB heads to Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals on Friday.
Written by Prachi Pisal
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