While the entire India was busy talking about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s potential India senior debut and Shreyas Iyer’s return to the T20I format, Rajat Patidar, a calm captain and a solid batter, has simply gone under the radar.
The batter’s 93-run knock off 33 balls against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 was just a reminder to the cricket world of the potential he possesses. Add to it Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s second consecutive final entry, and Patidar now looks like a player you simply cannot ignore.
Patidar was named the new RCB captain ahead of the 2025 edition. In his very first season, he led the franchise to its first-ever title in IPL history, ending an 18-year-long drought. If anyone thought it was luck or chance for the new captain, the 32-year-old has taken RCB into the summit clash once again this year.
While Patidar is a calm leader on the ground, his leadership skills have delivered some instant results for RCB. He scored 300-plus runs in the last three seasons, showcasing consistency. Patidar has done even better this time, piling up 486 runs in 14 games at an average of 44.18, with the help of five fifties.
Speaking after his knock against GT in Qualifier 1, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin said the selectors must be keeping an eye on Patidar’s performance.
“There must be a discussion. If it doesn’t happen, then something is wrong. Rajat Patidar played an important knock, but this is not the first time; he has a great record in Qualifiers,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“Before this knock, Shreyas Iyer was a little ahead of Rajat Patidar. But after today’s knock, Rajat Patidar is right up there. We all know how Rajat Patidar plays spinners, but today, he did well against the fast bowlers as well. It was surprising that no GT bowler tested him with the bouncer,” he added.
The Major Challenge for Patidar
Patidar has already played three ODIs and one T20I for India but failed to impress in the limited opportunities. As he makes his case for T20I selection stronger, the packed middle order in the India squad makes it tough for him to get a breakthrough. Additionally, Suryakumar Yadav is out of form, but he has already proven himself at the highest level while also helping India clinch a T20 World Cup title. And even when the selectors look to go beyond Suryakumar, Shreyas Iyer, another consistent player and a proven performer, seems to be the front-runner.