TimesofIndia.com in Ahmedabad: Rajat Patidar stands on the edge of history. The win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad will make the Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain only the third captain after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to win consecutively.
Indian Premier League
(IPL) titles.“I never thought about what another leader had done before, whether I would want to compete with someone or not. I never thought about that,” he told reporters here.“As an individual, my journey has been a rollercoaster. I never focus on that. Wherever I am, I focus on what I can do better.”
He added: “I never thought about going forward or going back. If I am here, I am only focusing on what I can do before the final. Tomorrow is the final, so we will try to give our best.”Having led RCB to their long-awaited maiden title in 2025, Patidar now has a chance to cement his place among the league’s most successful leaders on the biggest stage.Patidar played a 33-ball 93 against GT in Qualifier 1 and propelled his team to a crushing 92-run victory.Patidar’s stock has risen significantly in recent times and the swashbuckling batsman from Madhya Pradesh, who turns 33 in a couple of days, is increasingly seen as someone who can lead India in T20Is.
However, the right-handed batsman, who has played three Tests and a solitary ODI for India, is yet to make his debut in the shortest format of the game. On the eve of the final, he dismissed questions about national selection and any ambitions to lead India.“I’m not looking forward to any India-related selection. So I’m not looking forward to it,” he said when asked about the India call-up.About India’s captaincy, Patidar said: “I can’t imagine captaining India’s T20 team.
But at the same time, every captain wants to win titles.”
Is Rajat Patidar the right captain for Royal Challengers Bengaluru?
Patidar joined RCB for IPL 2022 as a mid-season replacement for the injured Luvnith Sisodia. He finished IPL 2022 with 333 runs from eight innings at an impressive strike rate of 152.50. Among his standout performances was a stunning 112 off 54 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator. Although RCB’s campaign ended in the next match, they carried their rich style with a fluent 58 in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals.
A few weeks later, he capped his dream career by smashing a match-winning century for Madhya Pradesh against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final.IPL 2022 turned out to be a game-changer for Patidar.In IPL 2025, he was handed the captaincy of RCB, a franchise that has never won the trophy. They came agonizingly close several times but were never able to lift the title.After winning one title and standing on the brink of another, Patidar is not looking back.He said: “We did that last year, but again this is a new season. You can’t keep talking about 2025 and what we did. You have to be more in the present and do everything you can to win the title.”“I don’t think we’ve changed anything or think differently. We’re in the same mentality. But as I said before, we’re not here to defend anything with the mentality of a champion. We have a chance to win another title.“We have to keep that kind of mentality that we are here to win the title, not defend anything we did in 2025. It’s a new season and a new opportunity to do it again in 2026.”He also pointed to the cultural change within the RCB squad, which was previously largely based on one or two players.“Earlier, there were one or two players on whom the team depended. But now every player takes responsibility when he steps out to bat or ball,” Patidar said.“So I think the word ‘responsibility’ is the main thing that everyone thinks about. Responsibility and the desire to contribute to the team.“And we have the same mentality that we’re not just here to make the playoffs. We’re here to play the Finals and win the Finals. So I think that mentality has changed.”
Which former leader do you think Rajat Patidar is most comparable to?