Rajat Patidar’s innings against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 delivered a rare feeling of inevitability for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) — once he found his rhythm, the bowling side looked like it had run out of answers.
It wasn’t only the power in his striking. The key was how quickly he shifted gears. After Jason Holder’s double blow had pushed RCB into a careful rebuild, Patidar was still moving forward, striking at a pace of 16 runs from 11 balls. Then, almost instantly, the tempo changed. He began breaking down one of the tournament’s toughest attacks with such relentless intent that GT’s plans started to unravel in real time.
The knock added fresh fuel to the growing conversation around Patidar’s next steps on the international stage, with talk of a possible T20I debut — and even a leadership role — intensifying as India move into a brand-new two-year World Cup cycle. For the record, Patidar currently sits second among RCB run-scorers in IPL 2026, with 483 runs at a strike rate of 196.76.
Mo Bobat, RCB’s director of cricket, viewed the innings as another indicator that Patidar is continuing to evolve into a higher-impact player at the top end of the order.
“He’s certainly batting brilliantly right now and has done throughout the competition,” Bobat said after RCB booked a place in a second consecutive IPL final. “That was a really special knock today, and I’m sure he’ll be pleased to have stood up in a big qualifier.”
“Any team whose captain is playing well gains extra confidence,” Bobat added. “We’re getting used to seeing these sorts of knocks from him now. He played some outrageous shots, but it was also the aggressive intent — that’s leadership by example.”
Babat then pointed to what he believes has been the clearest change in Patidar’s game over the last two seasons, describing a progression that goes beyond just strength or flair.
“At some stage last season I called him a spin-basher, and I think he took that personally because it sounded like I was saying it was only spin,” Bobat said with a laugh. “He’s probably trying to prove a point to me now.”
“He’s worked incredibly hard on his game with DK [Dinesh Karthik] and Andy [Flower]. One thing about Rajat is that he finds the middle of the bat a lot. Whether it’s pace or spin, front foot or back foot, the ball ends up in the meat of the bat quite often. That’s usually a very good sign. He has solid fundamentals and a fearless mindset. Over the last couple of years, we’ve tried hard to build that into the identity of our team.”
Tuesday’s performance reflected that identity in the way RCB accelerated at the right times, shifting both the momentum of the innings and the shape of the match. Patidar’s late-overs thrust pushed GT into territory they were not accustomed to defending, turning what could have remained within reach into something far more demanding.
“One of the things he’s done really well this year is choosing his moments,” Bobat said. “I remember the match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) earlier in the season when we lost a couple of early wickets. He absorbed the pressure initially and then went through the gears. That takes discipline and a more sophisticated way of thinking.”
“Today was similar. After a good start from the top three, we lost a few wickets, and he recognised that there was a window for a mini rebuild before accelerating again. Being able to read situations and conditions — knowing when to go up to top gear and when to drop back one — has been the most impressive part of his development.”
Babat also framed Patidar’s growth as mirroring RCB’s broader transformation across the past two seasons. For years, the franchise leaned heavily on a select group of stars to swing games. Now, the batting order and bowling plans both feature multiple contributors.
“I’m especially happy that we’ve got a number of players contributing to wins,” Bobat said. “When people talk about a ‘complete team’, that’s probably the idea I’d point to. It’s been the same pattern in the way we played last year too. We aren’t overly dependent on one or two individuals with the bat or the ball. A lot of different guys have stepped up, and you need that to go far in competitions.”
“If I look at today, regardless of the result, everyone who had an opportunity to impact the game and put pressure on the opposition was able to do it. That’s what we focus on — the way we play our cricket. When everyone contributes and fulfills their roles, the outcomes tend to follow.”
He added that the team’s identity didn’t appear overnight; it has been shaped gradually as a group of experienced voices came together and delivered in pressure settings.
“Experience matters a lot in pressure matches, but I also think it says something about their character and personalities,” Bobat said. “Everyone understands what Virat Kohli brings — his intensity, his fight, his hunger. But some of the other players have similar traits in their own way.”
“Krunal Pandya brings a lot of fight and aggression; he always wants to be involved when the match gets difficult. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood are calmer characters, but they also want to stand up in those moments. If you build a squad where players walk towards pressure rather than away from it, that makes a big difference.”
Babat felt a similar mindset showed in the way Venkatesh Iyer has approached his campaign, particularly after his season began on the bench despite his pedigree. Iyer earned a place in the XI later in the group stage and has produced strong performances while batting in different roles.
When he first broke into RCB’s setup, he arrived as an impact player, tasked with halting a slide. Last week, he batted at No. 4 and remained unbeaten on 73 in a match-winning knock against Punjab Kings (PBKS) while Patidar was absent. Then, in the final league match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Iyer opened the batting, and he repeated that approach versus GT in Qualifier 1. Bobat believes that adaptability — combined with those performances — has left RCB prepared to handle Phil Salt’s potential absence if the wicketkeeper-batter is ruled out of the final due to a finger injury.
“The main thing I’d say about Venky is that his attitude has been outstanding,” Bobat said. “For someone who’s already achieved what he has — representing India and winning IPLs — being on the bench is unfamiliar territory. But you didn’t see that anywhere in the way he carried himself.”
“I remember at the start of the season there was discussion about whether we’d pick him or Dev [Devdutt Padikkal] at No. 3. I specifically remember Dev scoring runs and Venky cheering louder than anyone from the dugout. That tells you a lot about his character, and also about the environment in the group.”
“He accepted he wasn’t playing, but still wanted his team-mate to do well. He’s worked incredibly hard in practice, waited for his opening, and then seized it. Today, from ball one, he and Virat set the tone and made it clear to GT that we were coming at them.”
In many ways, Bobat’s comments capture the larger narrative of RCB’s season: different match-winners, different personalities, yet a shared direction — one that has placed the side one victory away from becoming only the third team after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) to defend their title.
