Rajat Patidar has quickly carved a name for himself to the extent that he is now placed in the same bracket as the legendary duo of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma after leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second IPL (Indian Premier League) title on Sunday. Patidar became only the third captain in IPL history, after Dhoni and Rohit, to achieve consecutive titles. Dhoni did it in 2010 and 2011, while Rohit achieved it in 2019 and 2020.
From making his India debut in 2024 with a Test series to forget against England, to becoming a two-time IPL-winning captain, Patidar has risen strongly. He joined RCB as an injury replacement and, from there, went on to not only end their title drought but also take the team to unprecedented heights, an accomplishment worth its weight in gold. Beyond the trophies, it’s his leadership qualities that stand out, with a former BCCI selector drawing parallels between him and Dhoni and Rohit in their prime.
“One of the biggest reasons behind RCB winning a second consecutive title has been the clarity around individual roles within the team, and Rajat Patidar deserves a lot of credit for that. If you look at his journey, he came in as a replacement player and eventually became the captain. For someone without international experience, earning respect in a dressing room filled with world-class players, including Virat Kohli, is not easy,” Saba Karim on Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live on JioStar.
“Rajat earned that respect through consistent performances. Once he established himself, he became instrumental in shaping this side. He has played a major role in building a strong bowling unit. I also see a lot of clarity in his captaincy. When we talk about captains who have led teams to consecutive titles, names like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma come up, and I can see similarities in the way Rajat Patidar leads this team.”
Bangar delighted
Sanjay Bangar, who served as RCB’s batting coach and later head coach, is among many who always wanted the franchise to end its long wait for a trophy, and he was delighted to see them go from strength to strength.
“RCB always looked capable of making this kind of impact, but they had to wait a long time for it. They were consistently reaching the playoffs and finals, but once they tasted success and found a group of players who complemented each other well, things started to fall into place. What stands out about this RCB side is the experience it possesses,” he said.
“Most of the players have played international cricket, so in many ways it resembles an international team in terms of its make-up. That experience and temperament become invaluable in pressure situations. Success breeds confidence, and RCB have now multiplied that success. Who knows, this could be the start of a decade where they go on to win a few more titles.”
