RCB vs LSG Match Summary
Royal Challengers Bangalore 207/4
Lucknow Super Giants 193/6 (20 ov, Target:208)
RCB won by 14 runs
Player of the Match- Rajat Patidar
One of the most important matches of IPL 2022 was played like ‘the’ one today. The two better teams, Royal Challenger Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants locked horns to shorten the distance between them and the trophy. Lucknow having won the toss elected to bowl first in the match that started a little late due to rain. Royals gave a target of 208 for Lucknow to chase for the win. Even after putting in a good effort, Lucknow fell short and lost the match by 14 runs. Let us dive into RCB vs LSG Match Summary,
The way LSG had started their innings, it felt like ‘they understood the assignment’ but that did not last for very long. Even after scoring a good 62 of the first 6 overs, there were hiccups that lagged the team to some extent. KL who had a responsibility to lead from the front and not let go of his wicket played a little slower than expected and waited too long to change the gear of his innings. After Deepak Hooda’s wicket in the 15th over, the game seemed to shift towards RCB. Stoinis did try to hit the ball hard but took too many balls and eventually fell prey to the clever bowling of Harshal Patel. His over was a game-changer for RCB. From there on Hazlewood took command in his hands and did the rest of the work. He restricted the batters and built the pressure that forced them to go for big shots that were not timed well. The haste took it away from Lucknow. The game came down to the last over where Supergiants had to chase 26 runs and with absolutely new batters in the crease, it looked like an impossible task.
The way RCB played today and if they continue the show, ‘Ee sala cup namde’ could be a real thing. Initially what used to be their weakness, the death bowling, turned out to be their strength in today’s game. The way Rajat Patidar played today was an absolute delight for the young player and it was as unexpected for anyone. He was a rookie that LSG hadn’t prepared for. Kudos to Hasaranga for fielding brilliantly and stopping important runs for RCB during the powerplay and even the death overs which LSG completely failed to do. Faf did not lose his calm even when LSG had totally taken the game in their favor, kept his calm, and followed basics showing great leadership skills. Today was the day of RCB and they were the deserving team to win the game today.
The losing captain KL Rahul talked about his journey as a new franchisee who made it to the playoffs and what went wrong in today’s game as he said, “It’s quite obvious the reasons why we didn’t win the game. We let ourselves down in the field. The difference between the teams what Patidar’s knock. When a player from the top ends up playing a good knock, the team ends up winning. It’s a new franchise. We have made a lot of mistakes but you’ve got to learn from them and come back stronger. We are a young team, the group of under 25, has done well in patches. Mohsin Khan has shown everybody how good he is and what skills he possesses. It’s his first season and is important to take confidence from this and go home and work harder. He’ll clock up more speeds and deliver better next year.”
The winning captain Faf du Plessis looked as jubilant as ever and credited the whole team for special effort as he 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 the hard work we have done today. The most important thing was we were high on emotion and were very happy. I felt that we were very high and we come down to keep clarity and be calm for the game. (Conversations with Harshal) He is the joker in the pack, isn’t he? He is a high-pressure time bowler and every single time I am under pressure I can go to him. He told me that I want the pressure over, which was one of my first conversations with him.”
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – RAJAT PATIDAR
