When you see Rajat Patidar heading into the final week of the 2026 IPL, he has a way of silencing the room: let the India talk go. The RCB captain, with 486 runs in 14 games and now a second straight final under his belt, says all eyes are on the Gujarat Titans and May 31st.
Patidar puts the lid on India talk
You can bet the old question would come up before a title decider. Patidar didn’t even blink. ‘I’m not looking forward to any selection regarding India. So, I’m not looking forward to it,’ he said, making a hard break from the speculation and the work in front of him.
Don’t expect him to be in a fantasy world over the T20I reins either. ‘I don’t visualise to be the T20 captain of India,’ was his way of putting it, before he moved on to the only thing of import this week: ‘Every captain wants to win the trophies.’
Here and now
He won’t be wistful, not even after they hoisted the cup in 2025. ‘You cannot keep talking about 2025, what we have done,’ Patidar will have you know. His rule is to be where you are, go after the title and put in the numbers.
What’s behind RCB’s run
Sure, his bat has been the engine in the middle overs for RCB, but there is more to it than a good strike rate. In the dressing room, Patidar is on about everyone having a part to play. ‘Responsibility is the main word that every individual is thinking about,’ is how he puts it.
In his view, the days of depending on a couple of stars are over. ‘Every player takes responsibility when he is going to bat or when he is bowling,’ he said, and you could say that is what has made RCB’s rise less of a solo act and more of a change in culture.
Chasing 2026, not 2025
This is a fresh start for RCB, not a victory lap. ‘We are not here to defend anything with the mindset of defending champion,’ Patidar said. You get the sense: be a hunter, not a holder.
He was as plain as day about it: ‘We have an opportunity to win one more title… It’s a new season. It’s a new opportunity to do it again in 2026.’
Put simply, the team is driven by this:
– We want to be in the final, not the qualifiers
– Titles are to be won, not defended
– Everyone owns their role
– Be present, let the noise be
On the matter of rest and injuries
‘We got enough time to rest, recover’ after Qualifier 1, which has done RCB some good, according to Patidar. He also sees a slight edge because of the schedule: ‘GT is coming straight after the Qualifier 2. So there will be some sort of advantage, but not that much.’
Then there is the issue of Phil Salt and the finger he put out last month. ‘Right now, he’s there at the nets, doing some sort of drills and batting,’ Patidar said. From there, it is up to the medics and the management to make a move.
A word to the young ones
It is in the quiet times you see what kind of a leader he is. He can relate to the nerves of 2021 and makes sure the lads in the room are grounded. ‘It’s important to be yourself. To be on your strength,’ he tells them. And he means it: ‘You are here because you deserve.’
He has them zero in on what they can handle. ‘Focus on your strength. Rather than focussing more on what is not in your control,’ he says, which is the best way to put the jitters to bed.
Everyone knows what is at stake on May 31st. For Patidar, it is a state of mind: have a steady room, clear roles and a head for the prize. The selectors can look on. He has other things to think about.
