Ahead of IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Gujarat Titans in Dharamsala, RCB captain Rajat Patidar offered a clear message about his batting style. He said the narrative that he is better at facing spinners is something he wants to challenge, insisting that this season his game has suited fast bowling far more. Patidar also pointed to the numbers to back his view, and then delivered a reminder in the build-up matchday atmosphere at the HPCA Stadium—producing a blistering 93 off just 33 balls that lit up the evening.
Patidar’s belief: fast bowling fits him better
Patidar suggested that while people associate him with handling spinners, his own preference is different. He claimed that he has been more dominant against pace during the ongoing IPL campaign, and that he would always respond that he prefers taking on fast bowlers rather than relying on spin.
- Patidar said there is a perception that he plays spin better, but he believes his game suits fast bowlers more.
- He added that this year he has done more against pacers than against slow bowling.
Season numbers that underline his impact
The captain’s confidence was echoed by his tournament output. Patidar has already struck 41 sixes in IPL 2026, and a large share of them have come when the bowling is quick. He has also amassed 486 runs across 14 matches, with his middle-order role at No. 4 bringing both aggression and momentum shifts.
- Patidar has hit 41 sixes in the IPL this year.
- Of those, 27 sixes have been struck against fast bowlers.
- He has scored 486 runs in 14 matches.
- Batting at No. 4, he has made five half-centuries.
- His strike rate stands at 196.76.
From measured start to fireworks at HPCA
On Tuesday evening, before a laser show illuminated the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, Patidar took centre stage. The 32-year-old produced one of the most electric knocks of the season, striking 93 off 33 balls. The innings was built on precise timing and relentless intent, as he repeatedly found boundaries while keeping the scoreboard moving at pace.
- Patidar’s innings: 93 off 33 deliveries.
- He struck nine sixes in the knock.
- Seven of those nine sixes came against pacers.
A signature moment: Rabada over the ropes
One of the most eye-catching hits came in the seventh over against Kagiso Rabada. Patidar rocked onto the back foot and effortlessly sent a good-length ball over covers for a maximum. The shot captured the authority he carried throughout his innings, showing confidence in both timing and placement.
Patience first, then acceleration
While the final total looked explosive, Patidar’s innings did not launch from the start. He initially settled in with controlled singles and quiet accumulation, rotating strike and letting the innings take shape. During that phase, RCB lost two established batters in quick succession—Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli—leaving the captain to craft stability without rushing his tempo. His mindset, at that stage, was about patience rather than instant aggression.
Key turning points inside the chase
Patidar’s first major statement arrived in the 11th over. Jason Holder dropped short, and Patidar shifted his weight onto the back foot to pull the ball deep into the stands over mid-wicket. That boundary took RCB to the hundred and eased pressure that had been building.
There were also moments where fortune leaned in his favour. Against Prasidh Krishna in the 12th over, Patidar went for a big shot and produced an inside edge that ran past Jos Buttler for a bye. Soon after, he survived another scare when a leading edge flew high over the wicketkeeper and landed safely between two converging fielders. In the same over, a pull attempt almost ended the innings, but Rabada failed to hold a relatively straightforward chance in the deep.
Those escapes proved costly for the Titans.
The 15th-over surge that swung momentum
Patidar began to crank up the pace quickly in the 15th over against Kulwant Khejroliya. A mistimed lofted shot cleared the ropes, and he followed it with a stylish six over long leg, using the line and angle of the delivery brilliantly. He completed the over by finding the boundary again and then adding more—bringing 28 runs in a momentum-shifting spell that firmly tilted the contest in RCB’s favour.
Dominating pace and spin in the same spell
Once Patidar found rhythm, the bowlers—whether pacers or spinners—struggled to slow him down. Rashid Khan, typically one of the most difficult opponents to get away, was targeted next. A slightly short ball disappeared over long-on, but Patidar responded immediately by ending the over with an inside-out six over cover, moving with the spin and hitting with freedom.
Assault on Rabada to race toward fifty
The pressure intensified against Rabada as the innings surged further. Patidar brought up a blazing half-century from just 21 balls, striking a brutal pull over deep mid-wicket. He then followed it right away with a stunning back-foot drive over cover—an aggressive shot that many batters are hesitant to attempt against high pace, and even fewer execute with such clean control. By then, Patidar looked unstoppable.
Finishing burst: Siraj, Prasidh, and the nineties
Mohammed Siraj was next to feel the full force. A wide full toss was cut and launched over backward point for six, and another over-pitched delivery was driven for four. At that stage, Patidar entered a phase where nearly every scoring opportunity turned into a boundary.
In the final over of RCB’s innings, Prasidh Krishna was made to watch Patidar’s finishing power. A full toss on the hips went sailing over backward square leg for six. Another massive hit straight back over the bowler pushed Patidar into the nineties and underlined how completely he had taken control of the tempo.
A fearless 93: more than just runs
Patidar’s 93 changed the entire complexion of the innings. He weathered pressure, survived key moments that could have ended his knock, and then dismantled both pace and spin with equal authority. In the end, his score was not merely a collection of runs—it was an exhibition of fearless batting that set the tone for RCB ahead of Qualifier 1.
