"SRH bowlers executed slow bouncers, yorkers well": RCB skipper Patidar after loss
Hyderabad, May 23
Following his side's loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar said that his opponents dominated with the bat and executed their slow bouncers and slow yorkers really well.
RCB lost by 55 runs, but still stay at number one and play the second-placed Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Qualifier one, which they win, giving them a direct spot in the final, and if they lose, it gives them a second chance in the Qualifier two, where the Qualifier one loser and the winner of the eliminator clash. With half-centuries from Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen and fine bowling spells from Sakib Hussain and Eshan Malinga, SRH put on a clinical show of domination over the defending champions.
During the post-match proceedings, skipper Rajat said, "I think their top five batsmen played really well, and they purely dominated in the first innings. (Pitch slowed down?) Not really, but I think the slow bouncer was gripping a bit, but I think, their strength is slow bouncers and yorkers, they executed pretty well. The priority was to be on the top, but I think, there were a lot of runs in the first inning."
Patidar added that while 255 is a good score on such a batting wicket, SRH bowlers made things difficult with their slow bouncers and yorkers.
"I think 255 is a good score on this wicket. And I think their five bowlers executed the slow bouncers and yorkers pretty well. Hyderabad, I think it is a good wicket, but when you start bowling slow bouncers, slow into the wicket, I think it is really tough for the batsman to score the runs," he added.
Coming to the match, knocks from Ishan Kishan (79 in 46 balls, with eight fours and three sixes), Abhishek Sharma (56 in 22 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes), and Heinrich Klaasen (51 in 24 balls, with two fours and five sixes) pushed SRH to 255/4 in 20 overs.
In the chase, after a fiery 60-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer (44 in 19 balls, with four boundaries) and Virat Kohli (15 in 11 balls, with two fours), RCB fell apart to 94/3. Skipper Rajat Patidar (56 in 39 balls, with six fours and a six) and Krunal Pandya (41 in 31 balls, with five fours) stitched an 84-run stand, but RCB ended at 200/4, with Eshan Malinga (2/33) and Sakib Hussain (1/31) being spectacular for SRH. SRH will be playing the eliminator against the fourth-finishing side.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, RCB's batting lineup looked a bit shaky after Kohli got out. We need better middle-order planning. But credit to SRH - Ishan Kishan played a gem of an innings! 79 off 46 is top class. Good luck to both teams in the playoffs. 🇮🇳
Impressive analysis from Patidar. The slow bouncer and yorker combo is SRH's specialty - they executed it perfectly. But RCB shouldn't panic - they're still in a strong position. The Qualifier against GT will be a different challenge. Let's see how they adapt.
Patidar's captaincy was good today - he kept fighting till the end. But I feel we missed a trick by not using Krunal Pandya earlier in the bowling innings. 255 is a massive total though, and SRH just outplayed us. Simple as that. On to the next match! 💪
Respect to Patidar for admitting SRH dominated with the bat. That's a good captain's attitude - no excuses. The slow bouncer tactic was smart from SRH's bowlers, especially Eshan Malinga. But I think RCB's real test will be in the Qualifier. Time to bounce back! 🏏🔥
A bit disappointed with RCB's bowling performance - 255 is just too much to chase in T20. Venkatesh Iyer's cameo was brilliant though! 44 off 19 shows he's in great form. Patidar's assessment is spot-on, but we need better execution in
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