Royal Challengers Bangalore scored a spectacular victory against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2022 Eliminator match. Lucknow had to face defeat by 14 runs in this match. Harshal Patel played brilliantly for RCB. At Eden Gardens, RCB had commissioned Harshal to defend 208 runs. When Lucknow needed 41 runs in the last three overs, Harshal was given the pins. He soon converted 35 on 18 balls when Patel hit a wide shot that went over the bounds, giving Lucknow five runs. But he made a great comeback and caught Marcus Stoinis in deep coverage.
Patel gave up just two more runs in his last three balls, after which Lucknow had to score 33 runs in the last 12 balls, ultimately losing the match by 14 runs. After the match, Patel admitted to being nervous and explained how he had to change his plans in an instant. He said: “Of course I was nervous, there’s no question about it. If you’re defending 35 runs on 18 balls, you’re going to panic. But when I gave up six runs without throwing any balls, it turned out the wide yorker wouldn’t work. , so I wanted to go back to the plans that I had implemented in my first two overs.
He further said, “Fortunately, I got Stoinis out on the edge and then Josh Hazlewood also sent KL KL Rahul into the pavilion, which completely changed the match.”
Patel took 19 wickets in the tournament and said how watching Lucknow bowling made him throw good lines and lengths to bowl in the second innings. “There wasn’t a lot of dew, but when he rained and the cover came off, the moisture underneath came to the surface, which wet the outfield a little bit,” Harshal said.
In the tie, Patel took a wicket for 25 runs in four overs, bowling brilliantly despite suffering from injury. “I didn’t have to make any changes to my delivery because the injury had healed pretty well. So I was able to throw my slower deliveries and I could throw whatever I wanted,” he said.
With Bangalore facing Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 for a place in the final, Patel said he is always ready to bowl in difficult conditions for his team in the tournament. He said: “I have been doing it for Haryana (domestic cricket). I want to do it at the highest level and I prepare myself for those conditions. I am ready to face all the challenges of the team. I am ready.”
