"I was not being able to connect" - Anuj Rawat after match-winning knock against Mumbai Indians
Anuj Rawat finally lived up to the hype as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) trumped Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2022 on Saturday. Bangalore comfortably won by seven wickets at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
The youngster from Delhi has got a long rope despite a couple of bad games at the start of the season. However, Rawat justified his selection with a fine knock of 66-runs that helped RCB chase down 152 runs set by Rohit Sharma and Co.
Opening the batting, @RCBTweets youngster @AnujRawat_1755 played a fantastic knock in the chase & bagged the Player of the Match award as #RCB beat #MI. 👍 👍
#TATAIPL https://t.co/RARm6HX8d5
Speaking about his performance at the post-match presentation ceremony, Anuj Rawat said:
"It feels great to score runs in a winning match. I was just following the process. I was not being able to connect in other games, today did it well. Hope for many more to come."
Incidentally, Rawat has scored a couple of 20s in the competition but failed to convert them into big scores. On Saturday, he looked confident and played some gorgeous shots to bring home his first IPL half-century.
He added 80 runs with Virat Kohli for the second wicket to set up the run chase. The former RCB captain also made a valuable contribution, chipping in with 48 runs before he was adjudged LBW. Glenn Maxwell, who played the first game of the season, struck two back-to-back boundaries to seal the tie.
"They have backed me even when I couldn't finish the game" - Anuj Rawat
Mumbai stays loyal to CSK at bottom of the points table as RCB denies them a point. Congratulations to Anuj Rawat for a memorable knock. He is going to cherish this chase with a forever chase master Kohli - a dream of every rising talent. #IPL2022 #TATA2022 https://t.co/ffcb42n4Jm
The 22-year-old opener managed only 47 runs in the first three games of IPL 2022. Rawat gave away his wicket after getting in the groove, which raised speculations about his place in the playing XI.
However, Anuj Rawat silenced his critics with a fine match-winning knock. He thanked the RCB management for believing in his abilities.
Rawat concluded:
"RCB team has given us confidence but they have backed me even when I couldn't finish the game. Enjoying the company of Virat bhaiya and Faf."
Rawat will hope to continue the momentum in the next fixture against Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday at the DY Patil Sports Academy.