Shaun Pollock has hailed Rajat Patidar as the “greatest RCB captain” in IPL history after Royal Challengers Bengaluru delivered a comfortable win over Delhi Capitals in New Delhi on Sunday. Patidar’s leadership has been central to RCB’s title defence in IPL 2026, and the result extended their momentum to consecutive victories. RCB sit second in the points table, collecting 12 points from six wins and two defeats.
Key takeaways
- Shaun Pollock named Rajat Patidar the “greatest RCB captain” after RCB beat DC in New Delhi.
- RCB’s triumph made it back-to-back wins and lifted them to second place with 12 points from eight matches.
- Delhi Capitals were bowled out for 75 in 16.3 overs, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood doing the damage in the powerplay.
- Patidar is RCB’s third-highest run-getter in the current campaign with 238 runs in seven innings at 39.67, striking at 210.61.
- Pollock credited Patidar’s captaincy for ending RCB’s 18-year title drought in his first season as skipper.
RCB’s form and the IPL 2026 standings
RCB’s latest win keeps their chase for a top finish firmly on track. They are positioned behind Punjab Kings at the top of the table. Punjab Kings, the runners-up from the previous season, lead with 13 points from seven matches and remain unbeaten with six wins in their first seven outings.
Punjab Kings’ most recent match against Kolkata Knight Riders did not reach a conclusion, with the fixture washed out and counted as a no-result.
Pollock’s verdict on Patidar’s captaincy and batting impact
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Shaun Pollock explained how Patidar’s arrival as captain has changed RCB’s fortunes. In Patidar’s debut season in charge, he ended the franchise’s 18-year wait for an IPL title by defeating Punjab Kings in the final.
Pollock went on to stress the scale of Patidar’s start, noting that Patidar has recorded 15 wins in his first 20 games as RCB captain. He believes that if Patidar guides the team to another trophy, he would surpass all previous RCB skippers in terms of impact in IPL history.
Pollock said, essentially, that the first year alone—where Patidar led RCB to the title—would be enough to secure his place as the greatest. He added that this season, the team already look well set and it would be difficult to imagine them missing out on the playoffs given their current level of control.
He also praised the foundation Patidar has built, highlighting that taking over a franchise long without silverware and delivering a trophy quickly suggested the pathway to success was already taking shape. Pollock summed it up by calling Patidar the GOAT.
Patidar’s IPL journey has been closely tied to RCB. He has played only for Bengaluru in the league and was bought by them in the 2021 auction. However, early luck did not favour him; he managed 71 runs in four matches before being released. He went unsold in 2022, but RCB later brought him back as a mid-season replacement.
Patidar’s defining playoff moment
In the 2022 Eliminator, Patidar delivered a match-winning knock of 112 not out against Lucknow Super Giants. That century made him the first uncapped batter to score a hundred in the playoffs stage of the IPL. It was also the joint-fastest IPL playoff century, coming off 49 balls.
RCB vs DC: powerplay collapse hands RCB the win
Against Delhi Capitals, the batting order was dismantled during the powerplay by Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. After Nitish Rana was dismissed for 1 off 9 balls in the fourth over, DC slipped to 8/6 and never recovered.
The collapse began early when Bhuvneshwar removed opener Sahil Parakh for a duck in the first over. Hazlewood then struck twice in the second over—first getting KL Rahul out for 1, and then removing Sameer Rizvi for 0.
Bhuvneshwar returned in the third over to continue the damage, dismissing Tristan Stubbs for 5 and Axar Patel for 0. From there, DC’s innings kept unravelling until they were finally bowled out for 75 in 16.3 overs.
Bhuvneshwar finished with figures of 3/5 from three overs, while Hazlewood wrapped up the innings with 4/12 in 3.3 overs.
Patidar’s current batting numbers
Alongside his captaincy, Patidar has also contributed with the bat when it mattered most, anchoring RCB’s middle order. He is their third-highest run-scorer in IPL 2026, with 238 runs in seven innings at an average of 39.67, while striking at 210.61. In the campaign so far, he has produced two fifties.
