Rajat Patidar has delivered a standout IPL campaign, steering Royal Challengers Bengaluru to consecutive tournament titles. After a long wait for their first championship, RCB now look like a settled, high-impact outfit—and much of that momentum has been tied to Patidar’s steady leadership at the helm.
At a glance
- Rajat Patidar helped RCB win back-to-back IPL titles.
- Patidar scored 501 runs at a strike rate of 192.69.
- Michael Clarke said Patidar’s work has been underappreciated.
- Clarke highlighted Patidar’s leadership and consistent middle-order batting.
- Clarke suggested Patidar should be in India’s T20 conversation; he also mentioned potential ODI consideration.
Patidar’s influence extends well beyond the captain’s role. With the bat, he produced 501 runs at a strike rate of 192.69, repeatedly stepping into the middle overs when RCB needed momentum or stability. Whether the innings required a rebuild or a quick acceleration, he provided match-turning contributions.
Michael Clarke believes Patidar’s title-winning impact hasn’t been recognised as widely as it should. While Virat Kohli remains a constant centre of attention, Clarke argued that the captain’s effectiveness—both in how he led and how reliably he performed with the bat—has been equally important to RCB’s success.
Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Clarke said, “Patidar had a stellar tournament again and is my player under the radar. Virat Kohli being in the team will always be the most spoken about player. But Patidar has done an exceptional job with the way he leads and gets the best out of all of his players. His own performance, batting in the tough middle order, has been fantastic.”
India call-up in the spotlight?
Clarke then raised the question of what Patidar’s season should mean for India’s plans in the shortest format. He suggested that, despite the competition for places, Patidar’s combination of leadership and batting output should keep him firmly in contention for India’s T20 setup.
Clarke pointed to the skipper’s ability to flourish in one of T20 cricket’s most demanding batting spots. “Though he’s 31, there has to be a talk about him in the Indian T20 team. I don’t know if he will captain India, but he has leadership qualities. His middle-order batting has been phenomenal. Batting at No.4 is the hardest in T20s, and he comes in at the position and just explodes,” Clarke added.
He also stressed that Patidar’s captaincy achievements cannot be ignored by the national selectors. With RCB delivering back-to-back IPL triumphs under his leadership, Clarke suggested that the BCCI and Indian selection group must be paying close attention. “India has a lot of talent at the moment, and a number of them are fighting to get into the Indian team from this IPL. But if you captain a team that goes on to win back-to-back IPL tournaments, the BCCI and the Indian selectors must be talking about him. His name must be in front of the queue in T20s, and he could even be looked at in ODI cricket,” he said.
