RCB Superstar Rajat Patidar Slams 140* vs ENG Lions To Stake His Claim For England Tests
Rajat Patidar (x.com)
Madhya Pradesh batting stalwart Rajat Patidar shaped up 140 unbeaten runs for India A in their four-day first-class tie against England Lions at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. Having recently made his ODI debut for India in South Africa, the cricketer made a strong case for himself for the upcoming Test series against England through his scintillating one-man show for India A.
Patidar had also bludgeoned a quickfire 111 against England Lions in their two-day tour game in Ahmedabad earlier in January, as he continues to knock on selection doors for a potential Test call-up.
Rajat Patidar makes strong case for Test call-up
After England Lions amassed 553-8d, India A lost opener Sai Sudharsan for a duck within the second over of the innings on Day 2, thus paving an early way for number three Rajat Patidar into the crease.
![[Watch] Rajat Patidar Packs Picturesque First Boundary On ODI Debut vs South Africa](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1703160745046_Watch (7).jpg)
India A soon slumped to 24-4 with the early departures of captain Abhimanyu Easwaran, domestic stalwart Sarfaraz Khan and middle-order batter Pradosh Ranjan Paul. With wickets tumbling at the other end, Patidar led his team’s run-scoring charge with a belligerent counterattacking knock, stroking his way to an unbeaten 140 by stumps.
The cricketer belted 18 boundaries and five sixes in his monumental knock, and faced just 132 deliveries in the innings to take India A to 215-8. Remarkably, none of the other batters managed to score above 25, with as many as five India A players failing to register double-digit scores.
The BCCI recently announced India’s squad for the first two Test matches against England. Considering Rajat Patidar’s splendid form in domestic cricket off late, the 30-year-old might well receive a surprise call-up at some stage later in the series.
A couple of months ago, Patidar was retained by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise alongside the likes of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis for the IPL 2024 season. The much-awaited tournament will likely commence from March 29 onwards, and it will mark Patidar’s fourth season with the franchise.
 "Aakash Saini")
