Royal Challengers Bangaluru’s Captain Rajat Patidar during the press conference ahead of The IPL 2026 Final T20 Cricket Match between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangaluru at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Saturday May 30, 2026.
| Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI
From coming into the Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad in 2022 as a replacement player for an injured Luvnith Sisodia, Rajat Patidar now stands one win away from joining M.S. Dhoni (2010, 2011) and Rohit Sharma (2019, 2020) as the only captains to have won back-to-back IPL titles.
As a batter and leader, Patidar’s graph continues to grow. This season, the Madhya Pradesh cricketer has added another dimension to his game as a fearsome striker. He was at his aggressive best in an unbeaten 33-ball 93 which flattened Gujarat Titans in the Qualifier 1, taking his tournament strike-rate to an impressive 196.
On the eve of the IPL 2026 final here, Patidar was asked about his meteoric rise. Staying true to his modest demeanour, the RCB skipper sought to play it down.
“I’ve never thought about the captains who have won back-to-back titles, or whether I want to compete with someone or not,” Patidar said here on Saturday.
“You said my journey has been a rollercoaster ride. I’ve never focused on that. I’m just focusing on what I can do before the final,” he added.
The 32-year-old deflected pointed questions on whether he aspired to get picked for the Indian T20 side, stating that he was not thinking about it.
Patidar stressed on the importance of taking this final as a fresh challenge, rather than approaching it with the overconfidence of a defending champion.
“You cannot keep talking about 2025. You have to be in the present. We have to keep the mindset that we are here to win the title, not defending anything that we have done in 2025,” Patidar explained.
Published – May 30, 2026 08:15 pm IST
