Rajat Patidar: ‘No Words for Virat Kohli’, Captain hails team effort after record chase vs SRH in IPL 2026

Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar praised the collective effort of his team after their six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 season opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

RCB chased down SRH’s target of 201 with 26 balls to spare, making a strong start to their title defence.

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Patidar on team performance

Speaking after the match, Patidar highlighted the positive team spirit shown by everyone:

“The way boys played and everybody chipped in was a positive sign. First of all, it was the season opener for us, and the way everybody chipped in and did it for the team, I think that was a very positive sign for us.”

He particularly praised debutant Jacob Duffy for his impressive bowling.

“The way Duffy played his first match and the way he bowled, I think that was really impressive. The way he took the wickets of Head and Abhishek, I think that was the turning point for us.”

On RCB’s aggressive batting

When asked about the aggressive approach during the chase, led by Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, Patidar replied: “Not a policy, but we were assessing the wicket. The wicket was good to bat on. The way Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal played their innings, I think that laid a solid base for the other batsmen.

“So we’ll just keep continuing to do that. I think there are no words for him (Kohli). Every time he goes in, especially when the team is chasing, he delivers as the number one batter. The way he played and stayed till the end was outstanding.”

Patidar on Phil Salt’s Catch

Patidar was also full of praise for Phil Salt’s stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Ishan Kishan: “It was a terrific catch by Phil Salt. Even I was surprised! But as you know, he’s a very good fielder. I’ve seen him take many catches in the air, so that was a brilliant effort.“

Umpire’s decision angers Klaasen

The on-field umpire referred the decision to the third umpire. After checking, the TV umpire ruled that the boundary cushion had not moved and gave Klaasen OUT. The big screen flashed ‘OUT’.

Klaasen was clearly unhappy with the decision. He was seen arguing heatedly with the fourth umpire standing near the boundary.

The controversial catch has divided opinions on social media, with fans sharing different views on whether the catch was clean or not.

RCB’s captain Rajat Patidar was pleased with the team’s balanced performance.

The defending champions have sent a strong message with this comfortable victory in the opening match of IPL 2026.