Mandeep injects life into RCB's charge

PUNE: Recognition from one's peers is the biggest accolade a sportsman can get. On Wednesday, Mandeep Singh got that in abundance after playing the knock of his still-budding career in the IPL eliminator.
Coming in at 46/2, the 23-year-old Punjab batsman played a 'de-Villiersian' knock of 54 from 34 balls with seven fours and two sixes to help Royal Challengers Bangalore post a daunting 180 for four.On a demanding pitch at the MCA Stadium, that total proved to be more than adequate and Rajasthan Royals ended 71 runs short.
What amplified Mandeep's contribution was the fact that his more illustrious partner, South African AB de Villiers, struggled to get going before finding his groove. The duo eventually put on 113 runs for the crucial third wicket.
Royals' coach Paddy Upton had no doubt which one of the two knocks had more impact on the outcome of the match. "It was not an easy to pitch to bat on. We had a good start but Mandeep played a good innings," Upton said. "It was a slow pitch, you can see that from the way AB took his time to settle down.
"Mandeep was the only batsman who was able to take the game on from ball one. He was the one who injected life into the RCB innings."
Asked if there were shades of de Villiers in Mandeep's innings, Upton said: "AB is a freak. There are not too many batsmen who can play the kind of shots he plays. Mandeep's strokes had quality, aggression and variety. So, yes, there were similarities."