Duleep Trophy: Rajat Patidar slams his third successive 50-plus score
What's the story
Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar has smashed his third successive 50-plus score in the ongoing Duleep Trophy. The dasher made a fiery 77 against West Zone in the second semi-final clash in Bengaluru. He batted with great intent as his team went past 300 on Day 3 morning. Patidar also completed 5,000 First-Class runs during his stay. Here are his stats.
Knock
A fiery knock from Patidar's blade
Responding to WZONE's first innings score of 438/10, CZONE started well as Patidar arrived with the scorecard reading 160/2. In Shubham Sharma (96), the CZONE skipper got another potent partner as the two batters added 127 runs. Patidar dominated the partnership with his breathtaking shots. He looked set to touch the three-figure mark. However, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja ended his stay on Day 3.
Information
Twin 50-plus scores in the opener
Patidar made his bat talk in the quarter-final clash against North East Zone as well. He made a fine 96-ball 125 on Day 1 and backed it up with a fifty (66 off just 72 balls). These knocks powered CZONE to the semis.
Stats
5,000 runs in FC cricket
Patidar's 77 saw him consume 84 balls. He smashed 14 fours during his stay. As mentioned above, Patidar has raced past 5,000 First-Class runs (now 5,006) from 70 matches at an average of 43-plus. He now owns 14 tons and 26 half-centuries. The year 2025 has been tremendous for captain Patidar as he ended Royal Challengers Bengaluru's wait for an Indian Premier League title.
Ranji Trophy
529 runs in 2024-25 Ranji Trophy
Meanwhile, Patidar made his bat talk in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy as well. The Madhya Pradesh batter hammered 529 runs from seven games at an average and strike rate of 48.09 and 77, respectively. The 32-year-old tallied three 50-plus scores, including a ton. The game against Haryana saw Patidar smoke the fifth-fastest century in the history of the Ranji Trophy, off just 68 balls.