IPL 2025: Patidar tides over tough times, makes his mark as RCB captain

Mumbai: It is often said that how one responds after failing is what defines a player’s character. Rajat Patidar’s career can be a good example. After his sparkling batting in Madhya Pradesh’s 2021-22 Ranji Trophy victory, he got his chance to play Tests at home against England in 2024. He had an embarrassing run, scoring only 63 runs in six innings.

Despite the backing of the team management, he wasn’t able to settle down. He found comical ways of getting dismissed, getting out even to long hops. He was duly axed. It can affect a player’s confidence.

To his credit, Patidar took the setback in his stride. The India chance may have been lost, but in whatever other cricket he has got to play, Patidar has kept performing. With his exploits in the ongoing IPL, he has surely managed to restore his reputation.

Most importantly, he has surprised everyone by how well he is handling captaincy of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, leading them to three wins in four games.

Given the high-profile names in the RCB line-up, he seemed an unlikely choice for captaincy. “Life is such that it is not going to spare anyone. If you see, the guys who have experienced failures more often are the ones who go on to become the best leaders in future,” said former India batter and Madhya Pradesh stalwart Amay Khurasiya, who has played a crucial role in Patidar’s development by honing his basics at camps organised by their state association (MPCA).

“Cricketers by and large face failures often. Many of them don’t come out of setbacks, some of them come out of setbacks and have comebacks,” said Khurasiya, who coached Kerala to the Ranji Trophy final last season. According to him, two qualities helped Patidar tide over the low point in his career. “When you are down and out, the two best friends you can have is time and patience, and these two not many people have. I think Rajat has plenty of these things. The best way is to accept that he got the opportunities, you couldn’t do it. There’s another day; the sun doesn’t hide long behind dark clouds.”

Superb form

There’s nothing like leading from the front. Consistently getting runs has helped Patidar go about things with confidence. It is in tough phases of the game, in the middle and slog overs, that he is making the difference with his innovative and daring batting. Monday’s win against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium was an example of it. MI bowlers had done well in the middle overs to put the brakes on RCB’s scoring. Leading the bowling effort was their skipper Hardik Pandya (3-0-22-2). He came on to bowl his final over, 17th of the innings, and Patidar smashed two sixes and a four to help plunder 23 runs in the over and win the battle of captains. His sparkling (64 - 32b) helped RCB amass 221/5. It was his second half-century in four innings after starting with a 14-ball 34 against KKR.

“His head position and body balance are superb. If your head position is good and you pick the length early then execution is easy,” said Khurasiya.

Captaincy acumen

On Monday, his tactical acumen was tested when Hardik and Tilak Varma raised 89 off 34 balls to prise open the game. With 41 runs needed off 18 balls with six wickets in hand, it was anybody’s game.

Patidar controlled things well. Which bowler to bowl in the last three overs became crucial. Patidar made the right picks. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Krunal Pandya delivered the goods under pressure as RCB conceded only 28 runs and took five wickets.

Krunal, who bowled the last over, was effusive in his praise for Patidar’s calmness.

“Rajat has been fantastic. He’s again a captain who gives you the comforts when he gives you the ball, he gives you the confidence, backs your game plan, and as a bowler you want that. He has a calm demeanour, he doesn’t make things complicated. You can see that also in how he bats,” said Krunal, who took three wickets in the final over.