"Journey Has Been A Rollercoaster": RCB Captain Rajat Patidar Ahead Of IPL 2026 Final
Riyan Patidar had led RCB to their maiden IPL title in 2025, and now they need to beat Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Sunday to bag their second title in a row.
Rajat Patidar is a win away from joining MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma as skippers who have defended the IPL title, but the Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain wanted to tread his own way as a leader rather than copying someone else. Patidar had led RCB to their maiden IPL title in 2025, and now they need to beat Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Sunday to bag their second title in a row. "Every captain wants to win trophies. But I never change myself because it's important to be yourself. That's what I've focused on. Even if I'm a captain, it doesn't mean I have to do anything different," Patidar said in the pre-match press conference on Saturday.
Patidar was clear that he was not looking to compete for achievements with any past captains, and his sole focus was on guiding RCB to another title.
"So, I've never thought about what a captain has done before and whether I want to compete with someone or not. As an individual, my journey has been a rollercoaster ride. Wherever I live, I focus on what I can do best.
"I've never thought about moving forward or going back. If I'm here, I'm just focussing on what I can do before the final, and tomorrow is the final, so we'll try to give our best," he added.
But the 32-year-old said he has been benefited by learning from senior players in the RCB dugout such as Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
"There are a lot of learnings, especially off the field and on the field, there are a lot of helping hands. There are a lot of experienced players, from whom I'm getting a lot of good ideas. So, I'm trying to understand those ideas and apply them to the game." The Madhya Pradesh cricketer also credited RCB coaching staff — Andy Flower and Mo Bobat — for giving him the space to work.
"The management also plays a big role in this because they never force me. They know what kind of an individual I am. Even the senior players know what kind of an individual I am.
"So, there's a good backing from the management and the senior players. So, I've never faced such a problem. And I'm in my zone. So that's helping me," he said.
Patidar said he also enjoyed another important aspect of leadership role — guiding the young players in the team.
"I always like to spend time with them. I always try to tell them that it's important to be yourself. I was there in this situation in 2021. I was looking at the senior players. There was anxiety and nervousness.
"So, I keep telling them the same thing. You don't need to look at who is standing in front of you. You are here because you deserve it. Focus on your strength rather than focussing more on what is not in your control." Since he has made good strides as a T20 player and captain, now, does he think of an India cap? Perhaps, even as the captain of India in the shortest format? "I'm not looking forward to any selection regarding India. I don't visualise to be the T20 captain of India," he said.
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Gujarat Titans