Dharamshala: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar praised his team’s aggressive intent and fearless approach after their massive 92-run victory over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Tuesday, which helped the defending champions secure a second consecutive appearance in the final.
Patidar led from the front with a sensational unbeaten 93 off just 39 balls as RCB posted a record-breaking 254/5 before bowling Gujarat Titans out for 162 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium. The RCB skipper said the team entered the game with a positive mindset and showed strong intent from the beginning against the Gujarat bowling attack.
“It was a super game for us. The way especially the batsmen dominated, and everyone was striking with intent, I think that was really good for us,” Patidar said after the match. “It was not about having one clear plan against the bowlers, but we were ready for the challenge. You have to show some body language that we are coming for you. That attitude was there in every batsman,” he added.
RCB batters attacked from the very start, with Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, and Devdutt Padikkal providing quick runs before Patidar and Krunal Pandya took complete control in the middle overs.
Patidar revealed that the team discussion before the game focused heavily on maintaining attacking intent on the big stage. “We had a chat in the meeting that we needed good body language and an attacking mindset. It was Qualifier 1, a big stage, and the way we dominated the game was superb,” he said.
Talking about his own batting approach, the RCB captain said he prefers to assess the conditions first before shifting gears and putting pressure back on the bowlers.
“My batting approach is usually the same. I like to take around 8-10 balls at the start to understand how the wicket is behaving and what the ball is doing. After that, I get a clear idea about how to go ahead,” Patidar explained.
“I always like to put the bowler under pressure, and I don’t worry too much about the wicket,” he added.
Patidar also praised RCB’s bowlers for executing their plans perfectly while defending the massive total. Gujarat Titans lost five wickets inside the power play and never recovered in the chase.
“To be honest, the wicket was not that easy for hitting long sixes consistently because there was good bounce. The bowlers executed their plans really well and bowled more on the stumps, which helped us,” he said.
RCB’s strategy was to attack Gujarat’s top order early, considering the strong form of Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, and Jos Buttler throughout the season. “We knew GT’s main strength was their top three, so we were clear that we had to get them out inside the power play. Thankfully, it worked for us,” Patidar said.
“It will be important to recover well now and then go for the final,” he concluded.
(IANS)
