Patidar has hit five fifties this season. ©BCCI/IPL
Delhi Capitals did themselves no favours missing as many as four chances in the space of 11 balls. Three of them was that of Rajat Patidar, who finished with 52 off 32 to become only the third Indian player to hit five fifties or more in a season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the history of IPL.
It's the kind of luck that Patidar would have treasured when he was undergoing a torrid Test series earlier this year against England. Brought in as a batter with a good domestic record until then, what was showcased on the field was a watered-down version of the batter that he had come to be known for. Across six innings he got out in a variety of ways to all kinds of spin - left-arm orthodox, offspin and legspin. Gathering a mere 63 runs gave scarce indication of the reputation that he had built as one of the better players of spin going around in the Indian domestic circuit.
"I cant change the past, for me it's important to stay in the present and do the best that I can do for the team," Patidar had said while reflecting upon that series. It's a mantra that has served him exceptionally well in IPL 2024 which has once again presented a strong case for his reputation to be restored.
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