Patidar, bowlers help them beat Delhi Capitals by 47 runs and jump to fifth place
Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bengaluru kept their playoff dreams intact through Rajat Patidar’s blazing fifty and a strong-willed effort from the bowlers, who set up the hosts’ 47-run victory over Delhi Capitals in the IPL here on Sunday.
The target of 188 was not insurmountable, but the Capitals’ chase descended into disarray once they lost four wickets inside 3.3 overs upfront, eventually finishing at 140, with Axar Patel 57 (39b, 5×4, 3×6) playing a lone hand.
RCB now have 12 points from 13 matches – same as the Capitals – and need a win against Chennai Super Kings in the last league match here on May 18 to push their case for a playoff berth.
The Capitals also need a win in their final league game against Lucknow Super Giants on May 14 to stay in the hunt. Earlier, RCB could not exploit Patidar’s quick fifty to the optimum, settling for an underwhelming 187 for nine.
Patidar (52, 32b, 3×4, 3×6) and Jacks (41, 29b, 3×4, 2×6) added 88 runs off 53 balls for the third-wicket as RCB overcame the early departures of skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli.
Du Plessis’ slice off pacer Mukesh Kumar was gobbled up by McGurk near third man. Kohli gave signals of another T20 masterclass while creaming 27 off 13 balls, including two sixes off Ishant Sharma and one off Khaleel Ahmed (2/31).
But a waft outside the off-stump with little foot movement resulted in a catch to stumper Abhishek Porel.
RCB, however, found Patidar in full flow. His first scoring shot was a magnificent cover driven four off Mukesh and he never let that early momentum fade.
The elegance soon gave way for brute force as Patidar brought forth his six-hitting abilities, smashing Axar for two sixes and sending Kuldeep Yadav over long-on for a maximum.
The DC fielders too helped Patidar copiously. Hope dropped the right-hander on 42 off Kuldeep and five runs later Axar grassed him off pacer Rasikh Salam.
At the other end, Jacks, who was given a reprieve on 19 by Axar off Kuldeep, displayed his untrammelled power and the left-arm wrist spinner was at the receiving end, watching the ball sailing over long-on twice.
Just as the alliance was blossoming, DC managed to latch on to a catch.
Axar atoned for his previous failures as he made a fine tumbling catch off Salam to terminate the stay of Patidar.
Jacks soon followed his partner as a weak slap off Kuldeep ended in the hands of Axar at the edge of the ring.
The dismissals of two set batters affected the run-scoring rate of RCB. From 137 for four in 14.4 overs they could only add 50 runs in the remaining overs.