Royal Challengers Bengaluru have hit a rich vein of form in the IPL 2026, sitting near the summit of the standings after collecting six victories from their first eight matches. The defending champions are second in the table and look well-balanced across batting, bowling and fielding as they move closer to another playoff berth.<\/p>\n
Much of the shift has been traced back to Rajat Patidar\u2019s captaincy, which began in IPL 2025. Since taking over the reins, RCB\u2019s performance has noticeably improved, culminating last season in a landmark achievement: Patidar led the franchise to an IPL title\u2014something no RCB skipper before him had managed, a list that includes Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble.<\/p>\n
Shaun Pollock lauded Patidar\u2019s impact, calling him the standout captain RCB has seen. He pointed out that in Patidar\u2019s very first year as skipper, he guided the team to the trophy, and suggested that the current season already looks set for a similar outcome. Pollock also noted that inheriting a franchise with a long wait for success and then delivering at such a high level makes the case that Patidar is steering RCB toward another strong campaign.<\/p>\n
Pollock further emphasised the momentum Bengaluru now carry\u2014saying that with the way results have shaped up this year, it would be difficult to imagine RCB missing the playoffs again. In his view, Patidar\u2019s leadership has him positioned as a benchmark figure within the franchise\u2019s captaincy history.<\/p>\n
The growing reputation of Patidar\u2019s captaincy has also drawn attention from outside the RCB dressing room. Recently, Punjab Kings skipper Iyer was asked in an interview on Star Sports which captain he would most like to learn from. His answer surprised many as he named Rajat Patidar, leaving out other high-profile options such as MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.<\/p>\n
RCB\u2019s batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik has also spoken glowingly about Patidar\u2019s approach. Karthik highlighted that Patidar\u2019s leadership style is characterised by calm decision-making and clear thinking during matches. He said the skipper commands strong respect inside the team and, importantly, manages his bowlers with composure.<\/p>\n
Karthik added that Patidar stays steady when games are at their most stressful and benefits from helpful support around him. He pointed to guidance from Jitesh Sharma and the benefit of inputs from senior names including Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.<\/p>\n
According to Karthik, Patidar\u2019s straightforward nature shows up on the field as well\u2014he remains composed, makes decisive calls, and is capable of handling high-pressure phases effectively. Karthik\u2019s overall message was that Patidar\u2019s temperament and clarity are central to how RCB are performing this season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have hit a rich vein of form in the IPL 2026, sitting near the summit of the standings after collecting six victories…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026 Update: RCB\u2019s Form, Captaincy Lifts to Top","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"RCB\u2019s IPL 2026 surge continues as captaincy sparks consistency\u2014six wins from eight and a title push. Here\u2019s why their rise feels inevitable.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n