SMAT: Madhya Pradesh skipper Rajat Patidar, who played a match-winning knock on the final day, gave his team a substantial target despite early setbacks before setting up a strong stand in the title clash. This aggressive batting performance consisting of **12 boundaries** resulted in taking Madhya Pradesh to 174/8 within their allotted 20 overs against Mumbai in the finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
A Lone Warrior for Madhya Pradesh in SMAT
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Madhya Pradesh’s innings went off to a shaky start in the final when they lost the toss and were asked to bat first. The early wickets kept tumbling, and at one stage, the side found itself in a grave spot, having lost five wickets for just 86 runs. It was there that Rajat Patidar went up, taking the game to the Mumbai bowlers with an excellent counter-attack.
Patidar, who plays for Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League, took charge of the situation and turned the tide. He played with an aggressive approach, scoring his fifty in just 28 balls, a blistering knock that kept Mumbai on the back foot.
He finished his innings on an unbeaten 81 runs off 40 balls, which included 6 fours and 6 sixes. His aggressive batting was the brightest spot in the Madhya Pradesh innings, rescuing them from a precarious situation and helping them reach a fighting total.
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Patidar’s Outstanding Domestic Season
Rajat Patidar has been brilliant throughout the domestic season. Going into the final of the (SMAT) Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Patidar had already created quite a noise in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 427 runs from five games at an average of 53.37 with one hundred and half-century, thus putting him already amongst the top run scorers for the season.
In the present edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Patidar was the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament, after Ajinkya Rahane and Sakibul Gani of Bihar. His remarkable tally included four half-centuries in nine matches, and he maintained a strike rate of 182.63, which reflected his aggressive style of batting.
He has been the one taking Madhya Pradesh to its history by winning the final of a national cricket tournament for the very first time. His batting plays as well as leadership made major contributions to this successful campaign by Patidar. With this victory, he proved his understanding of his playing caliber in high-pressure matches as well as being on par with his teammates whenever required most.
The explosive 81-run knock by Rajat Patidar in the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was a reflection of his huge talent and ability to single-handedly turn games around. With this knock, he not only helped Madhya Pradesh to a respectable total but also further cemented his status as one of the most promising young players in Indian domestic cricket.
His all-round consistency in the season has marked him as one of the standout performers and someone to watch out for in future cricketing leagues, including the Indian Premier League.
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