Eden Gardens produced another blockbuster of a game in the Indian Premier League’s Eliminator between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The last time Virat Kohli played at Kolkata in IPL, he scored his last century and it was a full house of near 70,000 crowds to watch this game as neutrals. LSG won the toss and expectedly chose to bowl first. Rajat Patidar became the unlikely hero for RCB as he smashed his first T20 ton helping RCB post 207.

Coming out to chase such a big total LSG lost Quinton De Kock early. KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda’s 96 run partnership went in vain as RCB successfully defended the total and set up a match with Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2. Winning captain Faf du Plessis was over the moon with the win saying Rajat Patidar played a special knock.

“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,” Faf du Plessis said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “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.”

Here are the talking points of the IPL 2022 Eliminator LSG Vs RCB match-

 Mohsin Khan is economical once again

The only bright light in the LSG bowling department last night was the 23-year-old left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan. The Uttar Pradesh seamer dismissed Faf Du Plessis for a golden duck and was once again the most economical of the lot and finished with the spell of 1/25 where other LSG bowlers went over the economy of over 9. What a find he has been for LSG this season and with the Indian national team looking for a quality left-arm pacer from the last few years, Mohsin Khan can be the answer.

Rajat Patidar rescues team in LSG vs RCB

In a game where RCB’s big trio all failed with the bat Faf du Plessis (0), Glenn Maxwell (9) and Virat Kohli (25), Rajat Patidar saved the day and the season for RCB with a 49 ball century. Wickets kept falling at the other end but the Madhya Pradesh batter kept his rhythm going. Patidar showed his worth in the most crucial game for RCB, scoring his first T20 ton which included 12 fours and 7 sixes. The 28-year-old came as a replacement player for RCB and his unbeaten 112 has helped RCB to progress.

KL Rahul’s weak Captaincy hurts LSG

At a time when RCB should have been contained, KL Rahul let things slip out of hand. Most of the other batsmen for the team from Bengaluru failed to make an impact. However, it was Rajat Patidar, whom the LSG bowlers failed to contain. Further, the fielding was not up to the mark in such a crucial game and once RCB had scored 200+ in the match, it was always going to be a tough ask.

The passive and inactive captaincy of KL Rahul will be a concern, as he thinks more like a batsman than a captain. This quality could be exploited by opposition sides and will be a concern for Indian fans, when the team faces off against South Africa in the T20 series, for which KL Rahul has been named the skipper.

Josh Hazlewood’s 3-fer

LSG was cruising through the run chase courtesy of 96 run partnership between KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda. After Hooda’s dismissal, Rahul was the only one standing between RCB’s progress. The Aussie pacer dismissed him at the crucial time and finished with the figures of 3/43 to restrict LSG.