Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar credited the team’s collective batting strength after their dominant 92-run victory over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1, which sealed their place in a second successive Indian Premier League final and fifth overall appearance.
RCB produced a commanding performance, piling up 254/5 — the highest total in IPL playoff history — before restricting Gujarat Titans to 162 all out.
The emphatic win underlined their form at a crucial stage of the tournament and set up a chance to defend their title and secure back-to-back IPL crowns.
Patidar, who led from the front with a sensational 93 off just 33 deliveries, praised the depth and consistency of the batting unit.
“As I have said before, this team does not depend on just one person. Everyone is contributing, and that is a very positive sign,” he said.
He highlighted the impact of strong starts from Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Bethell and Phil Salt, which laid the platform throughout the season.
Reflecting on his own innings, Patidar said he focused initially on reading the surface before accelerating once set. “I was trying to assess the wicket and understand which areas I could target. After that pull shot off Holder, I got more clarity. Then it becomes about maximising momentum rather than overthinking,” he added.
Devdutt Padikkal carried forward the momentum with a fluent 30 off 19 balls and shared a decisive 72-run stand with Kohli for the second wicket. He praised the team’s fearless approach in a high-pressure knockout match.
“Collectively, it is something we should be really proud of. It’s no mean feat to reach the final two years in a row. We spoke about being brave and throwing the first punch, and we did that from ball one,” he said.
Padikkal also reserved special praise for Patidar’s match-defining knock. “There is obviously one individual I want to single out — Rajat. It was an incredible innings in such a big game. He led from the front and completely took the game away,” he said.
The match also produced several milestones. RCB’s 254/5 became the highest-ever total in IPL playoff history, while their powerplay score of 76/1 marked their best of the season.
Kohli crossed 600 runs in an IPL season for a record sixth time, and fourth consecutive year since 2023. Bhuvneshwar Kumar retained the Purple Cap with 26 wickets, while Krunal Pandya became the first player this season to register 200-plus runs alongside 10-plus wickets.
RCB now head to Ahmedabad for the IPL 2026 final on May 31, where they will aim to become only the third team in IPL history to successfully defend their title.
Source: Khaleej Times