Not Virat Kohli! Mo Bobat reveals how THESE stars transformed Rajat Patidar into RCB’s IPL 2026 match-winner

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are now one win away from defending their IPL title, and much of their success this season has revolved around the brilliant form of captain Rajat Patidar. After his explosive unbeaten 93 against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1, RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat revealed how Patidar’s hard work behind the scenes with Dinesh Karthik and head coach Andy Flower has transformed his batting this season.

Patidar’s stunning innings powered RCB to a massive 254/5 before the bowlers completed a dominant 92-run victory in Dharamsala to seal a second straight IPL final appearance.

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Mo Bobat praises Rajat Patidar’s hard work

Bobat credited Patidar’s development to the effort he has put into improving his batting over the last two seasons under the guidance of Dinesh Karthik and Andy Flower.

According to Bobat, Patidar’s ability to consistently middle the ball and maintain fearless intent has become one of the biggest strengths of the RCB batting unit.

“He’s worked incredibly hard on his game with both DK (Dinesh Karthik) and Andy Flower,” Bobat said in the post-match press conference. “One thing about Rajat is that he middles the ball a lot. Whether it’s pace or spin, front foot or back foot, the ball often hits the middle of his bat. That’s usually a very good sign. He has really strong basics and a fearless intent. Over the last couple of years, we’ve tried hard to make that the identity of our team,” he added.

Rajat Patidar’s leadership impresses RCB management

Bobat also praised the RCB captain for stepping up in one of the biggest games of the season and said strong performances from a captain always lift the confidence of the entire team.

“He’s certainly batting brilliantly right now and has done so throughout the competition. That was a really special knock today, and I’m sure he’ll be very pleased to have stood up in such a big qualifier. Any team whose captain is playing well gets greater confidence from that,” he said.

RCB impressed with Patidar’s fearless batting intent

The RCB director of cricket highlighted how Patidar’s aggressive mindset has become a key part of the team’s batting identity in IPL 2026.

Bobat said the team has now become used to watching the captain play fearless innings under pressure.

“We’re becoming accustomed to seeing these sorts of knocks from him now. He played some outrageous shots, but it was also the aggressive intent that stood out. That’s leading by example,” he said.

Mo Bobat explains Patidar’s smart game awareness

Apart from his attacking batting, Bobat was particularly impressed by Patidar’s ability to understand match situations and pace his innings according to the game.

After RCB lost wickets in the middle overs, Patidar briefly stabilised the innings before launching another assault during the death overs.

“One of the things he’s done really well this year is picking his moments. Today was similar. After a strong start from the top order, we lost a couple of wickets, and he recognised that it was time for a mini rebuild before accelerating again,” Bobat said.

“That ability to read situations and conditions, knowing when to go to top gear and when to slow things down slightly, has been the most impressive part of his development,” he added.

Rajat Patidar enjoying outstanding IPL 2026 season

Patidar has been one of the standout batters of IPL 2026 and has played a huge role in RCB’s journey to the final.

The RCB skipper has scored 486 runs in 14 innings this season at an average of 44.18 and an impressive strike rate of 196.76.

Also Read: Dinesh Karthik sends strong warning after RCB crush GT to reach IPL 2026 final