The China Mail - Patidar stars as Bengaluru hammer Gujarat to reach IPL final

Captain Patidar's 33-ball knock steered Bengaluru to 254-5 and then their bowlers combined to bowl out Gujarat for 162 in 19.3 overs in the first qualifier in Dharamsala.

Gujarat will have another shot at making the final when they go into Friday's second qulifier in Chandigarh where they will face the winner of the eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.

The final takes place in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Star batter Virat Kohli hit 43 to lay the foundation for Bengaluru's mammoth total -- the highest ever in an IPL play-off -- after being invited to bat first.

The 37-year-old Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, is chasing a second straight IPL title with Bengaluru after waiting 18 seasons to lift his first in 2025.

Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, who made 30, put on 72 for the second wicket before Jason Holder hit back for Gujarat with two wickets in three balls.

Holder got Kohli to drag the ball back onto his stumps and then had the left-handed Padikkal caught behind by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

- Sloppy fielding -

But Bengaluru quickly rebuilt the innings with Patidar and Krunal Pandya putting together a counter-attacking stand of 95 off 47 balls.

Both Patidar and left-handed Pandya hit a flurry of fours and sixes including in a 28-run 15th over as Gujarat faltered with dropped catches and sloppy ground fielding.

Kagiso Rabada dropped Patidar on 20 and a few fielding blunders let Bengaluru race away before Pandya top-edged Rabada to deep midwicket.

Patidar kept up the charge as he reached his fifty off 21 balls with a six off Rabada.

Patidar lost another partner in Tim David, bowled by Prasidh Krishna for four, but finished with a flourish alongside Jitesh Sharma who hit 15 off five balls.

In reply, 2022 champions Gujarat were never in the chase after being reduced to 51-5 inside six overs.

Gujarat started briskly with in-form opener Sai Sudharsan starting with two successive fours off New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy.

But the bowler had his revenge in a lucky manner in the next over when Sudharsan was out hit wicket, the bat slipping out of his hand and hitting the stumps as he played a sparkling cut to the cover boundary.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled skipper Shubman Gill for two and Josh Hazlewood rattled the stumps of Buttler, who departed for 29.

Wickets kept tumbling as pace bowler Rasikh Salam struck twice in one over and the writing was on the wall.

Impact substitute Rahul Tewatia made 68 to save Gujarat the blushes after they slumped to 88-8 in 11.2 overs.

S.Davis--ThChM