Our brains are conditioned to store certain memories in capsules. So, it chooses the right moments during a lifetime to be memorised. For a few cricket fans, especially for supporters of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Virat Kohli, one of those memories could be the cliffhanger of a game played between RCB and LSG in Lucknow.
It had its share of bloopers and tactical errors. In terms of quality, it may not have been the best game of the tournament. But it kept everyone on the edge of their seats. And then it happened, Jitesh Sharma, the moan of the moment, smashed Ayush Badoni for a six to bring the curtains down on an exhilarating game.
Jitesh, one of the two ‘keeper-batters cum captains in the match, was the cornerstones of RCB’s victory. He crunched a game-breaking unbeaten 33-ball 85. His innings was more than just the runs he scored. At 123 for 4, in the 12th over, it seemed as if LSG were all set to gain a slight upper hand. To crack a flurry of shots in a pressure-cooker situation, with the prize being qualification for top-2 spots in the league table gave enough evidence of his fearless mindset.
There was something else to prove – His traits against pace bowling. There has always been a suspicion that he is vulnerable versus hard length. Yes, it is true that the likes of Will O’Rourke and to a lesser Avesh Khan perhaps ended up trying too many slower ones on a track that wasn’t gripping at all. But a few of the lofted shots – down the ground and via covers – were exquisite. And that was blended with a cheeky lap shot or two. In other words, Jitesh explored different parts of the ground, and he did with an air of nonchalance.
If it was ecstasy and elation for Jitesh, then it was a bittersweet night for Rishabh Pant. For starters, his 61-ball 118 would have given Pant a sigh of relief. For most part of the IPL, Pant was paddling through a difficult phase. He had notched up just over 100 runs and at an abysmal strike rate of around 100. His 6-ball 16 versus GT was an indication of things to come. With LSG out of reckoning for the playoffs, it probably freed up Pant’s mind.
Whatever it was, he played with a sense of adventure that took a cricket aficionado back in time to revisit some of his knocks. In the 18th over, a profusely sweating Pant eventually reached his hundred. His celebrations included a somersault, which told something about what this hundred meant to him.
Just scratch the surface of his innings a little more and you will observe that 58 of his runs came on the off-side. And 44 of them came via covers, square and behind square on the off-side. While going through a bad patch, Pant has a tendency to struggle a bit against defensive lines and lengths – angled away and bowled wider of off-stump. Not so on a humid night.
This hundred has larger implications as Pant now won’t be carrying the baggage of bad form to the England tour. Meanwhile, for Jitesh, his game-changing innings vindicated the management’s decision to make him the stand-in captain in the backdrop of Rajat Patidar suffering an injury. As far as the fans are concerned, they had their money’s worth. And that is what IPL is all about – Fast-paced game and entertainment.
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