Rajat Patidar Names Best Fast Bowler In IPL. Not Jasprit Bumrah Or Lasith Malinga

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Rajat Patidar has achieved what no other captain of the franchise had managed since the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 - leading the side to an IPL title. Under Patidar, RCB created history by winning the IPL in 2025. The start to their title defence has been impressive as well, with RCB beating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opener. After the match, Patidar took part in a fun rapid-fire question round. He was asked several questions, and the following were his responses.

Best batter: Virat Kohli 
Best captain: Rohit Sharma
Best fielder: Faf du Plessis 
Best away ground: Eden Gardens 
Best cover drive player: Virat Kohli 
Best fast bowler: Dale Steyn 
Best spinner: Sunil Narine
Best finisher: AB de Villiers
Best death over bowler: Jasprit Bumrah
Best dressed teammate: Virat Kohli
Best music taste: Romario Shepherd

Rajat Patidar's picks in the IPL:

Best Captain - Rohit Sharma.
Best batter - Virat Kohli.

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— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 2, 2026

Earlier, Patidar praised Virat Kohli as the team's top "chase master." He said he has always admired Kohli's batting and enjoys watching him from the dugout, highlighting his shot selection and ability to read match situations as particularly impressive.

Kohli played a match-winning, unbeaten knock of 69 off 38 deliveries, including five fours and as many sixes, against Sunrisers Hyderabad, helping the defending champions chase down the fastest 200-plus target in IPL history. Bengaluru chased down the 202-run target in just 15.4 overs in the IPL 2026 opener.

"Virat Kohli is our number one chase master, as we all know. I have always admired his batting, and watching him bat from the dugout-the way he played his shots and assessed the situation-was really good to see," Patidar told reporters.

Patidar also lauded RCB speedster Jacob Duffy as a skilled T20 specialist, saying the team has full confidence in him and that his bowling performance and execution have been excellent.

"He's a specialist T20 bowler, and we have a lot of confidence in him. That's why we've given him a chance. The way he's delivering and showcasing his skills has been tremendous," he added.

Duffy took three wickets to help RCB beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets and get their IPL 2026 campaign off to a winning start. He was also named Player of the Match for his impressive spell with the ball

Topics mentioned in this article

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Mumbai Indians Rajat Patidar Jasprit Bumrah IPL 2026 Lasith Malinga Cricket