In the eliminator game against LSG, RCB’s Rajat Patidar made his maiden IPL century to provide a solid base for the team’s win. Rajat’s unbeaten 112 off just 54 balls led Royal Challengers Bangalore to a staggering 207/4. It was undoubtedly one of the most incredible knockout performances of all time. LSG fell 14 runs short of the required total and was eliminated from the competition. Here are some milestones achieved by Rajat Patidar.
Milestones achieved by Rajat Patidar
- First uncapped player to score a playoff century: Patidar became the first uncapped player in the IPL’s playoffs/knockouts to record a century. Manish Pandey scored 94 from 50 deliveries for Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2014 IPL final, which was the previous top score by an uncapped player.
- Joint fastest knockout century: Rajat hit his 100 in 49 balls. This is the joint-fastest century by any player in the IPL knockouts. Patidar tied the milestone set by Wriddhiman Saha in the 2014 IPL final. Saha had smashed 115 off 55 balls for Kings XI Punjab.
- Surpassed Gayle’s record: Patidar’s 112 runs enabled him to pass Chris Gayle. Gayle’s 89 from 47 balls against the Mumbai Indians in 2011 was the best playoff score for an RCB player.
- Third-highest score by an uncapped player in the IPL: Patidar equaled Devdutt Padikkal to score the third-highest score by an uncapped player in the IPL. Manish Pandey is number two, while Paul Valthaty remains the first.
- 5th player to score a knockout century: It’s also the fifth time a player has hit a ton in the IPL playoffs or elimination stage.
This was RCB’s third consecutive eliminator in the last three years. RCB will face Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2 at Ahmedabad on Friday. Rajasthan Royals lost their last game against Gujarat Titans. If RCB wins qualifier 2, they will reach the finals for the first time since 2016. Meanwhile, Rajasthan’s victory will show them the door to finals for the first time since 2008.