Rajat Patidar's captaincy saga: From self-doubt to brink of immortality
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's captain Rajat Patidar during a practice session. (PTI Photo)
Just one match separates
Rajat Patidar
from immortality in cricketing folklore. A triumph against PBKS will end RCB's 18-year wait for a historic IPL title, earning Patidar cult status in his first season as captain.
The Bengaluru-based franchise have been extremely dominant this season, pulling off impressive wins.
None of the clumsiness which defined RCB in previous editions has been visible, making Patidar seem like a messiah sent by the divine forces.
However, the cricketer, who leads Madhya Pradesh in limited-overs cricket, interestingly lacked self-belief as a captain initially, as revealed by the state team's head coach
Chandrakant Pandit
.
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"I was after him to take up the state team's captaincy for the last two to three years, considering the respect he commands among the players. However, he was not very keen initially. I don't think he believed in himself as a captain. Rajat was somebody who would speak very less. It was tough to understand what he was thinking," said Pandit during an exclusive interaction with
TimesofIndia.com
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"However, Rajat came to me last season and said, 'I would like to take up the responsibility of captaincy'. Interacting with him during the off-season made me realise his ability to take quality decisions and emerge as a leader. MP did so well under his captaincy in the Syed Mushtaq Ali (SMAT) 2024-25, reaching the final. Rajat's confidence increased after the team started winning matches under his captaincy. I had a conversation with RCB head coach Andy Flower during the SMAT.
He was very keen to know what's so special about Rajat," added the KKR head coach.
'We will try and win this for Virat Kohli': Rajat Patidar before IPL Final
The RCB captain has witnessed his fair share of struggle and misfortune over the years, from limited opportunities to being constantly sidelined due to injuries. Pandit termed Patidar's attitude and desire to learn quickly as a factor behind his rapid progress, propelling him to such success.
Poll
Will Rajat Patidar lead RCB to victory in the IPL 2025 final against PBKS?
Yes, definitely!
No, PBKS will win.
"Rajat takes spontaneous decisions without being fearful.
At the same time, he is also aware of the things which are going wrong in his decision-making, which I noted during SMAT 2024-25. Rajat immediately came to me after missing out on some aspects and said, 'I should've done this instead'. Acceptance is very important," said Pandit.
"There were certain instances where he got out after playing a bad shot. I was upset at him, but he took it in the right spirit without saying a single word.
You could see the difference in the next match. Some other cricketers would've, maybe, termed the bad shot as a part of the game. However, Rajat is a very good learner and took the lessons from the interaction," he added.
The KKR head coach highlighted a recent interaction with Patidar before an
IPL
2025 match against RCB in Bengaluru, which showcases his strong mentality.
IPL 2025 Final, RCB vs Punjab Kings: The wait will finally end in Ahmedabad
"Rajat had suffered a finger injury. I asked him, 'What has happened to your finger?'.
He said, 'Don't worry. I will be playing'. That is the level of confidence and mental strength he enjoys. Rajat is also a vocal communicator and expresses himself freely which is an indication of the self-belief he enjoys as a captain," stated Pandit.
Former Madhya Pradesh captain Devendra Bundela termed Patidar leading RCB in the IPL 2025 final as a major moment in his career.
"I expected RCB to do well but reaching the final is a massive achievement and a big moment in Rajat's journey. RCB have an edge over PBKS because of Rajat's ability to emerge as a game-changer in big matches. He had scored a sensational 81(40) in the SMAT 2024/25 final against Mumbai and I would back him to get another big knock. Rajat is simply unstoppable on his day. Players who toil it out in domestic cricket become tactically astute and mentally tough which he is a classic example of," stated Bundela.
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