Monank Patel's night of emotion and elegance

By Smit Patel

The MI New York witnessed a remarkable innings as Monank Patel scored a career-defining 93 off 50 balls against the Seattle Orcas. Patel confessed to feeling emotional during his innings. Even Heinrich Klaasen, captain of the Orcas and a top-ranked batter, told MI New York coach Mark Boucher that it was one of the best innings he'd ever seen in a chase.

Monank Patel hit eight fours and seven sixes on his way to a 50-ball 93 © Sportzpics

Monank skillfully used his experience on a challenging wicket. His tactical approach involved carefully selecting shots based on the bowler. Klaasen's praise may seem generous given the game's low stakes and the Orcas' less star-studded bowling attack.

Klaasen's sentiment was echoed by a young fan holding a handmade "Monank I love you" banner and the broader American cricket community. Patel's innings stood out amid the presence of T20 stars like Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, and Kieron Pollard. It was the highest score by a domestic batter and arguably the finest innings by a domestic player in MLC history, especially significant given the league's historical struggles with domestic batting performances.

Boucher commented, "This innings doesn't surprise me. Monank is a fantastic player. That's why he plays for the US as well... He struggled upfront in the first game, but he stuck it out and ended up scoring 50 in 30 odd balls... Today, when he came in, conditions were tough in the power play, especially in the second innings. He stuck to the plan and really expressed himself after that and played some fantastic cricket shots all over the park."

Similar to his game against TSK, Monank avoided the temptation to aggressively start his innings during a significant chase. He respected the conditions, acknowledging the unpredictable bounce of the new ball on the wicket. Twelve wickets had previously fallen in the second innings during the powerplay over the past three days. His initial cautious approach of 4 off 12 balls set the stage for an explosive performance, marked by a powerful straight drive off Jasdeep Singh that cleared the midwicket boundary. "I liked the cover drive as well that followed it but that was a special shot for me" Monank said.

While Monank typically favors shots down the ground, this game saw him employ unconventional shots behind square. He executed lap shots against Jasdeep and Obed McCoy that went for six. His success wasn't solely due to luck; it was a result of his astute assessment of the conditions, his keen understanding of the bowlers, and his ability to select shots that allowed him to exploit the area behind him with calculated risk.

"When the bowler keeps bowling hard length after the power play and the pitch keeps up and down from length, I played that shot only to bowlers with height of 6 ft or above," Monank explained. "The ball was extracting variable bounce from tall bowlers. When I was being tested with bouncers, Boucher asked me why I was challenging the speed of the ball... He asked me to use the bowlers' pace when you don't trust the wicket truly."

During the chase, Monank's dominance was such that he reached 86 while Michael Bracewell contributed 26 to their partnership. The USA captain praised Bracewell, highlighting their successful run-chasing partnership. They have accumulated nearly 300 runs in three games, including an 80-run stand in a practice match, a critical 97-run stand against Texas Super Kings, and a match-winning 119-run partnership against the Orcas, potentially leading to Bracewell's promotion ahead of Pooran.

"Bracewell is amazing. Behind the scenes hero," Monank said. "He knows what he needs to tell me, that is going to help me. He kept telling me to watch the ball hard... Even if I miss he will come and praise me... Reminds of my partnerships with Rashid last year."

The American captain concluded the season's final night at the Coliseum Stadium with a public expression of his desire to represent the USA at the iconic venue in the future. Monank's connection with the Coliseum awaits the USA chapter, offering the potential to recreate those powerful emotions.