Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has opined that the current Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is not dependent only on their three big stars and the ability to find new heroes in every match has held them in good stead in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. RCB has now reached the Qualifier 2 registering a win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 25 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
RCB rode on a stunning 112 not out from Rajat Patidar, who walked in at No. 3, and smashed the LSG bowlers after Mohsin Khan dismissed Faf du Plessis on a golden duck. Virat Kohli and Patidar added 66 runs for the 2nd wicket but the former captain was not able to convert his start into a big knock as he fell in the 7th over for 25. On a day when du Plessis, Maxwell, and Kohli failed to get going, it was Rajat Patidar who did the job for RCB with one of the finest knocks played in the knockout stages of the IPL.
On his show on Youtube, Aakash Chopra said, “The biggest thing is that neither did Faf score runs – he was dismissed for a golden duck, nor did Virat Kohli score runs – scored a run-a-ball 25. Maxwell’s bat also does not fire but despite that, this team wins the match.”
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He further added, “This is what a team is all about, this team is no longer about the three stars. The story has gone far away from that, they are doing amazing death bowling. They are finding new heroes in every game and this time around it was all about Rajat Patidar.”
As Aakash Chopra pointed out, it’s been a collaborative effort for RCB in IPL 2022. While skipper, Faf du Plessis chipped in with some crucial knocks, Kohli managed to keep the show running despite not being in the best of forms. Dinesh Karthik has been playing the finisher’s role while Maxwell has also chipped in with a couple of cameos and, at times, with the ball too.
When it comes to the bowling department, Wanindu Hasaranga has already scalped 25 wickets but Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel have done their job wonderfully well.
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Having broken the Eliminator jinx, RCB will be pumped-up when they face Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on Friday. The winner of that tie will face Gujarat Tians in the final on Sunday.
