After the Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the Eliminator in the 2022 IPL was also a high-scoring clash played out on the same surface. Rajat Patidar stole most of the limelight for one of the all-time great knocks in the IPL history before Harshal Patel again showcased why he is one of the best death bowlers going around. Despite a few nervy moments, RCB were the better team and were more clinical in eliminating LSG in the Eliminator. We look at a few key moments from this riveting encounter between RCB and LSG.
Patidar sensing the key moments
After losing their captain for a golden duck, RCB struggled through the Powerplay, scoring just 32 runs off the first five overs. So, when Krunal Pandya came on to bowl the sixth over, and with a struggling Kohli at the other end, Rajat Patidar took it upon himself to counterattack and build some momentum in the innings. Patidar ended up scoring three 4s and a Six off Pandya’s over to end the Powerplay at 52-1, their third-best of the season.
RCB finished the Powerplay strongly but struggled for momentum in the middle overs. From overs 13-15, RCB could score just 17 runs and also lost Glenn Maxwell to Ravi Bishnoi. Dinesh Karthik had joined Patidar in this phase but was struggling against the leg-spinner. When Bishnoi came on to bowl the 16th over, Patidar knew he had to target him and even cover for Karthik. He ended up mauling Bishnoi with a 27-run over and kick-started RCB’s death-overs carnage.
LSG’s chase strategy
In Evin Lewis, LSG had one of the most explosive T20 openers in their lineup. With a career T20 strike rate of 145.1 over 198 T20s, Lewis is flexible to bat anywhere in the top three, even at four, occasionally. However, despite getting an opportunity to send him early after Quinton de Kock’s wicket in the first over, LSG held Lewis back and sent Manan Vohra ahead of him.
Lewis only came in to bat in the 18th over at number six, and till then, Shahbaz Ahmed – a left-arm orthodox bowler who could have been a perfect matchup for Lewis – had already bowled his four overs for just 35 runs.
The other baffling strategy is more of a common sight these days. In a chase that required the team to bat at 10.4 RPO, KL Rahul batted at 8.17 RPO. Not only the low scoring rate, but Rahul also consumed 48.33% of the total legal balls that were available to all the LSG batters. Rahul might have played a long inning of 79 runs, but in the context of the team’s interest, it was pretty much an inning that caused more harm than good.
The death overs
When chasing a high score, one expects the chasing team to be ahead of the asking rate or just ahead of the opposition at every stage. LSG did just that. Till the end of the 17th over, LSG were always ahead of RCB’s score at the end of each over. But the biggest difference was how the bowlers of both teams bowled the last three overs, especially the last two, considering LSG were ahead of RCB even after the 18th over.
For LSG, Mohsin Khan, Dushmantha Chameera and Avesh Khan bowled the 18, 19th and 20th over, respectively. Only Mohsin came out holding his head high as he conceded just eight runs off his last over. The other two bowlers ended up ‘gifting’ 34 runs off the last two overs, as they were guilty of bowling too many half volleys and aimless short-pitched balls.
RCB, on the other hand, killed the chase in the 18th and the 19th over, despite bowling nine wides in those two overs. Harshal Patel and Josh Hazlewood backed themselves to execute their plans, and when one plan didn’t work, they were smart enough to quickly move away to a backup plan. With 41 needed off 18 balls, the duo combined to give away just 26 runs, picking up three wickets as well. It was a result of a mixture of slower balls and balls bowled wide of the batter to deny them any opportunity to get under the ball.
With this win in the Eliminator, the Royal Challengers Bangalore advance to face the Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2, whereas curtains were pulled on Lucknow Super Giants’ IPL campaign. They’ll now face the Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2 at Ahmedabad.