Madhya Pradesh captain Rajat Patidar put up an impressive show with an unbeaten 132, leading his team to a remarkable victory over Bengal in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the match, held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Patidar rose to the occasion just when his team needed him the most.
Chasing Bengal’s competitive total of 269/7, Madhya Pradesh found itself in deep trouble at 2/2. The first blows could have derailed their chase, but Patidar had other plans. Coming in under immense pressure, he showed his experience and composure.
Patidar formed a crucial 185-run partnership with Shubham Sharma, who narrowly missed out on a century, falling for 99. The duo’s stance laid a solid foundation for MP’s chase. Patidar then added another valuable stand of 79 runs with Subhransu Senapati, ensuring the team’s victory.
The fourth Patidar list, a century
Patidar’s knock of 132* came off 137 balls and included eight fours and a six. This was his fourth century in List A cricket, taking his overall tally to 2211 runs in the format. His ability to anchor tackles and accelerate when necessary proved vital to MP’s success.
Patidar has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket. He started his Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign with a solid knock of 55 runs against Bihar. However, his form dipped in the next matches, with scores of 2 and 13 against Tripura and Baroda. The unbeaten 132* against Bengal marked a timely return to form.
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In the ongoing campaign, Patidar has amassed 225 runs in six innings, at an average of 45. His leadership and batting prowess have been instrumental in Madhya Pradesh’s progress.
Impressive show at Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Patidar also had a stellar outing in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). He helped MP reach the final with consistent performances throughout the tournament.
Notably, Patidar scored an unbeaten 81 off just 40 balls in the SMAT final against Mumbai. His knock, with six fours and six sixes, had a strike rate of 202.50. Although MP fell short in the final, Patidar’s performance stood out.
In the SMAT season, he accumulated 428 runs in 10 matches at an average of 61.14. He recorded five half-centuries and smashed 32 fours and 27 sixes.
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