Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fielder Daryl Mitchell took a magnificent juggling catch in the outfield in the first innings of the IPL 2024 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Saturday (May 18) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. It was a crucial moment as it helped his side see the back of Rajat Patidar, who was playing aggressively at that juncture.
The moment transpired on the fourth ball of the 18th over, bowled by CSK pacer Shardul Thakur. Patidar tried to keep the scoring rate up by attempting a lofted shot towards the long-on region to a full toss.
He could get the desired timing behind his shot, as Daryl Mitchell judged the catch perfectly and completed the catch just inside the ropes after a juggle.
You can watch the catch in the video below:
Rajat Patidar's cameo of 41 injected momentum into RCB's innings after the dismissal of their openers
RCB batted first in the match on Saturday after losing the toss. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis gave them a good start with a 78-run partnership. Du Plessis struggled for rhythm during their stand as the ball spun prodigiously for a while. However, it did not deter Kohli, who played a fine knock of 47 (29) to keep the score board ticking for the hosts.
After their departures, Rajat Patidar took the onus and smashed the bowlers all around the park to provide RCB a platform to score above 200 in the must-win game. He raced to 41 (23) before perishing in the 18th over.
Cameron Green (34) then took the RCB side to 218 with the help of a couple of cameos. Green reflected on the action that unfolded in the first innings during the break and said:
"The wicket was quite tough. Even when the ball went into the wicket, it bounced quite a bit. Hopefully it stays that way (in the second innings). (On the ball spinning prodigiously after the rain break) It was pretty crazy out there."
He added:
"Faf and Virat batted beautifully. They gave us a platform to explode from. After the rain, there was a bit of turn, not sure why. (On the target they had) You don't really set yourself a target. With the extra batter, you can go earlier. In the 14-15th, that is when you start to go and try to hit the ball as hard and as far as you can.
CSK reached 85/3 in 9.1 overs in the chase, at the time of writing.
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