Batting at No. 4 in T20 cricket is a job that demands constant adjustment. A batter can be sent in when the score is barely moving, only to be asked to stabilize, or they can arrive with momentum already built and be expected to explode almost immediately. Rajat Patidar has increasingly looked like a rare fit for that tightrope, and his latest IPL knock again underlined why he has been viewed as one of the most well-rounded options for the middle order at that spot in recent seasons.<\/p>\n
Patidar\u2019s reputation was first shaped by his ability to punish spin, and that strength has only grown. Since IPL 2022, when he joined the league as a replacement, he has struck at 175.24 against spin while maintaining an average of 60.55. Among batters who have faced 200 or more balls against spin, only Abhishek Sharma (197.72) and Heinrich Klaasen (179.15) have managed to score at a faster rate.<\/p>\n
Just as important is the consistency of his output across different kinds of turning bowling. Patidar carries a rare mix of a batting average above 35 and a strike rate above 140 against each of the three main categories of spin. His edge becomes even clearer on the match-up front as well: against left-arm orthodox and leg-spin, where the ball typically moves away from a right-hander, he has been especially dominant. In that span, he has scored at a combined strike rate of 192.72, which is the best mark for right-handers (with a minimum of 100 balls faced).<\/p>\n
While seam bowling has naturally posed more questions for middle-order batters, Patidar\u2019s numbers remain steady. Against pace he has a strike rate of 152.39, placing him among a small group of seven batters who keep a 150-plus strike rate against both spin and seam (with at least 200 balls faced). When the ball is pitched on harder lengths\u2014the kind that often exposes technique and timing\u2014he still averages 32.37 while striking at 146.32, reinforcing that he is not limited to one phase or one type of delivery.<\/p>\n
Across the season, Patidar has already shown multiple layers to his game\u2014early acceleration that helped improve net run rate against SRH, momentum-building in the middle overs against CSK, and now a recovery followed by a late climb out of a collapse. Even though the innings ultimately ranked as the third-best of the night as the match concluded, it still served as a clear reminder of the temperament and range demanded from a No. 4 batter in the IPL.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Batting at No. 4 in T20 cricket is a job that demands constant adjustment. A batter can be sent in when the score is barely…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Rajat Patidar No.4 Role & T20 Impact","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Rajat Patidar\u2019s IPL No.4 role is paying off\u2014see how his T20 timing, control and power fit the middle-order pressure and impact match swings.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n