"Who was he bowling to?" - Mohammad Kaif lauds Harshal Patel's match-winning spell for RCB vs LSG in IPL 2022 Eliminator

Mohammad Kaif has lauded Harshal Patel for bowling a match-winning spell in the Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) IPL 2022 Eliminator win against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The game took place on Wednesday, May 25.

Patel returned figures of 1/25 in his four overs when almost all the other bowlers were being taken to the cleaners. He bowled two exceptional overs at the death when the match was intriguingly poised.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Mohammad Kaif was asked if Patel has resolved RCB's perennial death-bowling issues. He responded:

"He has bowled 24 balls and only one six was hit. He had an injury on his fingers and is bowling with the same hand. That is fine but who was he bowling to? KL Rahul was there in front of him, a set player who could have won the match."

The former India cricketer highlighted how Patel flummoxed the LSG batters with his slower short deliveries. Kaif explained:

"He (Rahul) was trying to play pull shots and was getting beaten, they were becoming dot balls. The slower bouncers he used, he hit the ball on the deck, got the height he wanted and the batters were not able to read which ball was coming. Stoinis even left the ball quite a few times and they were becoming dot balls."

Patel bowled a couple of wides to start the 18th over of the LSG innings, with the second one also going for four byes. However, he conceded just two more runs in the over, while also dismissing Marcus Stoinis.

View the IPL 2022 timetable here.

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"He is not giving the pace" - Mohammad Kaif on Harshal Patel's strategy at the death

Harshal Patel has picked up 19 wickets in IPL 2022 [P/C: iplt20.com]

Mohammad Kaif appreciated Patel for bouncing back brilliantly after enduring a lean run in the middle of IPL 2022. He elaborated:

"The revolution he gets on the slower ball, the ball pitches and stops and gets the bounce. Stoinis was caught at deep point, which was also a big wicket. He is not giving the pace. Harshal Patel got the Purple Cap last year, he was fully worthy of that. This year his form had dipped a little in the middle but four overs, 25 runs and a wicket."

Irfan Pathan added that Patel has come into his own in the last two seasons of the IPL and has answered RCB's call for an effective death bowler. The former Indian all-rounder said:

"Harshal Patel was playing regularly before 2021 as well but he had taken 46 wickets. He has taken 50 wickets in the last two seasons, Harshal has had two amazing seasons and because of that, RCB's performances have improved because they were missing a bowler who could pick wickets at the death and win them the match."

Harshal Patel has picked up 97 wickets in his IPL career thus far. 51 of these scalps have come in the last two editions of the IPL.