Royal Challengers Bengaluru director of cricket Mo Bobat praised Rajat Patidar for his outstanding innings against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1, calling it another significant step in the batter’s evolution. Patidar first focused on stabilising the innings before shifting gears spectacularly, attacking the bowlers with such intensity that Gujarat Titans’ plans fell apart in real time.
The clutch performance has further intensified calls for Patidar’s inclusion in India’s T20I side as the team begins
a fresh two-year World Cup cycle. Patidar has been one of RCB’s standout performers in IPL 2026 and currently sits as the franchise’s second-highest run scorer. The right-hander has amassed 483 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 196.76, playing a key role in Bengaluru’s successful run to the final.
"He's certainly batting brilliantly right now and has done well throughout the competition. That was a really special knock today and I'm sure he'll be really pleased to have stood up in a big qualifier. Any team whose captain is playing well gets greater confidence from that. We're becoming accustomed to seeing these sorts of knocks from him now. He played some outrageous shots, but also really the aggressive intent… that's leading by example,” said Bobat as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"He's worked incredibly hard on his game with both DK [Dinesh Karthik] and Andy [Flower]. One thing about Rajat is he middles the ball a lot. Whether it's pace or spin, front foot or back foot, the ball hits the middle of his bat quite often. That's usually a very good sign. He's got really sound basics and a fearless intent. We've tried hard over the last couple of years to make that the identity of our team,” he added.
Patidar’s fearless intent became the defining feature of RCB’s innings, completely shifting the momentum of both the contest and the scoreboard pressure on GT. After carefully settling in, Patidar unleashed a stunning end-overs assault that pushed GT into unfamiliar territory. What initially appeared to be a manageable total quickly transformed into a daunting and suffocating target through his explosive acceleration.
"One of the things he's done really well this year is picking his moments. I remember the game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) earlier in the season when we lost early wickets. He absorbed pressure initially and then went through the gears. That takes real discipline and sophistication in your thinking,” said Bobat.
"Today was similar. After a good start from the top three, we lost a couple of wickets and he recognised that there was a moment for a mini rebuild before accelerating again. That ability to read situations and conditions, knowing when to go to top gear and when to drop down one, has been the really impressive part of his development,” he added.
