When Rajat Patidar told a small gathering of journalists that he would love to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore in the upcoming Indian Premier League a couple of days ago, the question in the aftermath wasn’t so much about his abilities as a player or his acumen as a leader.It was largely about how the ride-or-die fans of the Bengaluru outfit would accept him in that role while the former skipper Virat Kohli continues to prowl the ropes.If the sporadic but telling ‘RCB, RCB’ reverb inside the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Sunday is anything to go by, it would seem Patidar is accepted by the loyalists.While their chants were for him as a batter since he put up an unbeaten 81 from 40 balls to guide Madhya Pradesh to a non-par 174 for 8 on a sticky strip in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final against Mumbai, you got a sense that the 15,000-odd spectators were using this contest to gauge Patidar’s value to RCB.So far as that exercise was concerned, the crowd walked away pleased, surely, but the MP skipper couldn’t stop his side from feeling forlorn for they didn’t have the endless pool of talent to overcome Mumbai’s depth on the night. Least of all the temperament to handle a 21-year-old Suryansh Shedge’s cudgel.While Mumbai, equipped with six Indian players in their midst, were not nearly as authoritative as you’d expect them to be given the resources, they most importantly managed to get to 180 for 5 in 17.5 overs on the back of Suryakumar’s 48 and Shedge’s 15-ball 36 not out to claim the domestic T20 crown for the second time.That said, there were several moments in the game where it looked like Mumbai would choke after choosing to chase.Skipper Shreyas Iyer’s call was a good one for the pitch did hasten as the moon rose, but Patidar’s ability to generate power ensured a level playing field by the time Mumbai came out for the chase.Ajinkya Rahane’s presence surely settled Mumbai’s nerves after losing Prithvi Shaw for 10, but until Suryakumar came about and got into ‘SKY mode’, MP had a grip on the situation. In fact, MP was in the game when Shivam Shukla accounted for Suryakumar as Mumbai needed 45 runs from 30 balls. A couple of tight overs would have put Mumbai in a rather perilous position.In walked Shedge!The youngster, who has been labeled ‘finisher,’ has lived up to the tag so far, but this knock ensured his reputation is sealed as he cracked three sixes and three fours when the chips were down, not only ensuring his fifth unbeaten knock in as many games but also a much-needed win for a transitioning Mumbai.Brief scores:Madhya Pradesh: 174/8 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 81 n.o.; Shardul Thakur 2-41, Royston Dias 2-32)Mumbai: 180/5 in 17.5 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 37, Suryakumar Yadav 48, Suryansh Shedge 36; Tripuresh Singh 2-34).Result: Mumbai won by 5 wickets.Player of the Match: Suryansh Shedge.Player of the Series: Ajinkya Rahane.
