Monank scored 62 off 44 against Texas Super Kings after a slow start ©MLC
It's an absolute nightmare for any batter to find themselves stuck in first gear during a T20 innings, especially during the powerplay, where the modern-day mantra is to go flashbang from ball one. Add to that a soaring asking rate north of 10 runs an over with 15 overs still to go and the pressure compounds exponentially.
Then comes the invisible weight: the judgmental gaze of thousands in the stands and millions more watching across screens. It's a cocktail of scrutiny, noise, and self-doubt. In such moments, the easy way out is to throw the kitchen sink. Swing blindly, hope something sticks, or fade into the anonymity of the dugout.
But there's another route - the tougher, grittier one. The old-fashioned grind. The willingness to absorb, recalibrate, and claw back. And Monank Patel is quietly making that grind in T20s great again.
He continued his bittersweet romance with the Texas Super Kings this season. Once again scripting a tale of struggle, valor and heartbreak. Just like last year, he found himself in a deep hole early on, only to gladiate his way back into the contest with sheer will. Last season, he crawled to 9 off 16 before launching into a stunning counterattack that carried him to 61 off 45. Yesterday was eerily familiar: a sluggish 8 off 18 to start, followed by a miraculous acceleration to
