IPL 2026: ‘Rajat Patidar’s intent setting the tempo’ – Ambati Rayudu impressed with Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s approach

Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu has heaped praise on Rajat Patidar, the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, for his fearless batting approach and ability to lead from the front in the ongoing Indian Premier League season. Patidar has been instrumental in setting the tone during the middle overs, adopting an aggressive mindset and playing attacking shots right from the start.

The right-handed batter has amassed 222 runs in five matches at an impressive strike rate of 213.46, providing a significant boost to RCB, particularly in a phase where teams often tend to slow down. His intent has allowed Bengaluru to maintain momentum through the middle overs, putting opposition bowlers under constant pressure. Rayudu also highlighted that Patidar’s positive mindset is having a ripple effect on the entire batting unit.

“They are going after every ball. The captain is doing that so the team is following that tempo and that template. Whenever you see Patidar walk in, he comes with a lot of intent. It is rubbing off on his non-striker as well as the batters who are following. It is refreshing to see RCB play that way,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo.

Rayudu was particularly impressed by the approach of RCB batters during the chase on a slow surface, praising their intent and execution. He highlighted how the batters chose to attack even good deliveries, consistently clearing the boundary instead of waiting for loose balls to capitalize on.

“Playing on a slow wicket, they adapted way better than the way Lucknow’s batters did. It was a slow wicket, they had to adjust their shots and their bat swing but they played some fantastic shots. Generally, we have seen a lot of sixes against loose balls, but this batting line-up has been hitting sixes against really good deliveries. That’s a great sign,” said Rayudu.

Speaking about the match, RCB won the match by five wickets. LSG scored 146 in their 20 overs where Mitchell Marsh top scored with 40 runs. From RCB, Rasikh Salam Dar took 4/24. During the chase, RCB chased it in 15.1 overs where Virat Kohli top scored with 49 runs under his bat. From LSG, Prince Yadav took 3/32 and with this win the Bengaluru-based franchise climbed to the top of the points table.

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