'Haven't seen many better knocks' - Virat Kohli lavishes massive praises on Rajat Patidar's stellar ton vs LSG

Rajat Patidar stunned the high-flying Lucknow Super Giants with a remarkable century in the Eliminator of IPL 2022. Batting first at the Eden Gardens, Royal Challengers Bangalore were off to a disastrous start as big guns like skipper Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell failed to fire. However, Patidar was batting on a different track as he made a mockery of LSG bowlers.

From Avesh Khan to Ravi Bishnoi, the 28-year-old spared none and brought up his hundred off just 49 deliveries. He ended up scoring an unbeaten 112 as RCB won the crucial contest by 14 runs. Meanwhile, Kohli was mighty pleased with Patidar’s efforts as he lavished massive praises on the youngster. The former RCB skipper, who interviewed Patidar after the game, even stated that he hasn’t seen many better knocks than his teammate’s ton.

What Rajat Patidar did was very very special: Virat Kohli

“I told him as well after the game as well that I have seen many impact innings and many innings under pressure over so many years. I have not seen many better than how Rajat played today. Under pressure, big game, first uncapped player,” Kohli said while speaking to IPL.

“The magnitude of the game was so big that I was feeling the tension in the air because I have been in those situations where you have to cross the line as a team. What he did was very very special, I don’t think that anyone should take that for granted. You should understand the excellence of the innings and appreciate as a cricketer to watch an innings like that,” he added.

Meanwhile, RCB have now advanced to Qualifier 2, where they’ll meet Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals with a place in the final at stakes. The encounter takes place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday (May 27). Notably, RCB had qualified for the playoffs in the last two seasons as well but couldn’t go all the way. Hence, they wouldn’t like to miss the opportunity this time around.