DHARAMSALA: Fans turned up in numbers at the HPCA Stadium here on Tuesday for the first IPL qualifier, many of them hoping to watch a Virat Kohli masterclass. Kohli’s promising innings, however, was cut short by Jason Holder for 43. What the crowd got instead was a stunning exhibition of strokeplay from Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar. Riding on their underrated captain’s unbeaten 93 off 33 balls, RCB steamrolled Gujarat Titans by 92 runs to march into their second successive IPL final.Patidar’s whirlwind knock, studded with five fours and nine sixes, took RCB to an imposing 254/5, the highest total in IPL playoff history. RCB then bowled Gujarat out for 162 in 19.3 overs. More than the light and sound show at the break, the Titans seemed to be reeling from Patidar’s fireworks when they came out to chase. Their innings got off to a poor start as Sai Sudharsan was hit wicket off Jacob Duffy for 14. Skipper Shubman Gill soon followed, bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar for just two. Jos Buttler briefly threatened with a 11-ball 29, but once Josh Hazlewood removed him, Gujarat’s chase unravelled quickly. Wickets tumbled regularly as Titans lost half their side inside the Powerplay, reaching only 51/5 after six overs. From there, the match became a formality and they were eventually bowled out in the final over. Rahul Tewatia offered the lone resistance for the Titans with 68 off 43 balls. For RCB, Duffy claimed three wickets while Bhuvneshwar, Rasikh Salam Dar and Krunal Pandya picked up two each.When RCB batted, Patidar walked in with the stadium briefly stunned after Kohli’s dismissal in the ninth over. The RCB fans soon found their voice again as Patidar began depositing balls into the stands with ease. Capitalising on a life offered by Kagiso Rabada when he was on 21, Patidar tore into the Titans attack and added 95 for the fourth wicket with Krunal Pandya.The Titans did not help their cause as they were sloppy in the field, while their bowlers lost discipline in the end overs. The momentum shifted decisively in the 15th over, when Patidar and Krunal launched an assault on Kulwant Khejroliya. The left-arm seamer bowled two noballs and a wide in the over as Patidar and Krunal collected 28 runs. Though Krunal fell for 43 off 28 balls, Patidar carried on. He brought up his fifty in just 21 balls and shifted gears with ease as RCB scored 86 runs in the last five overs. Standing deep in his crease, Patidar sent yorker-length deliveries over the ropes and pulled short balls into the stands with clinical precision.After being put in to bat, Venkatesh Iyer gave RCB a flying start by striking three fours in Mohammed Siraj’s first over. At the other end, Rabada put Kohli in a spot of bother by beating him off the first three balls he faced with steep bounce. Iyer was in no mood to rein in his attacking instincts, but after scooping Rabada for six, he fell off the next ball for 19.Kohli then found his rhythm, hitting Rabada for two fours and a six in the final over of the Powerplay.
