The art of hanging back and hitting huge sixes has evolved with time and the credit goes to the emergence of T20 cricket. The shorter format has led to the rise of many power-hitters, who have the ability to hit towering sixes and clear the fence with absolute ease. The ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) has also seen batters walloping bowlers for massive sixes. But there have also been a couple of instances when cricket fans in the stadium bore the brunt of these hits. IPL 2022 Full Coverage
During the game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings on Saturday, Rajat Patidar slammed Harpreet Brar for a humongous 102 m six. The ball travelled to the stands but hit an old spectator on the head. It all happened on the fourth ball on the ninth over when Brar bowled inside Patidar’s hitting arc and the RCB player pummelled it over long-on for a six.
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Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants batter Ayush Badoni had also hit a female fan with a hefty hit against Shivam Dube.
Patidar’s knock of 26 ended after he fell to Rahul Chahar in his attempt to slog the tweaker on the off-side. Glenn Maxwell then scored three fours and a six in his 35 before being caught at long-off by Arshdeep Singh off Brar. Patidar (26) and Maxwell (35) did add 64 runs but the pair’s exit put Bangalore in a tricky spot.
Bangalore kept losing wickets at regular intervals, which eventually led to a 54-run defeat at the Brabourne Stadium. Chasing a massive 210 for the win, Mohammed Siraj (9) and Josh Hazlewood (7) remained unbeaten at the end of 20 overs as Bangalore finished with 155 for nine.
For Punjab, Jonny Bairstow hit a 21-ball half-century before Liam Livingstone took charge and scored a 42 ball 70 run knock. On the bowling front, Kagiso Rabada (3/21) picked up three wickets, while Rahul Chahar (2/37) and Rishi Dhawan (2/36) accounted for two RCB batters each.
“We were brilliant with the bat. The wicket was holding up a bit. The way Jonny and Livi batted, was amazing. We haven’t changed a lot to be honest, just about understanding a few situations, understanding the wicket,” Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal said in the post-match presentation.
With the win, Punjab have climbed to the sixth spot in the points table with 12 points in as many games. Bangalore, on the other hand, remain fourth with seven wins under their belt.