Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched their second Indian Premier League (IPL) title after defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final game of the 2026 edition on Sunday, May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Notably, it's the second successive title for the Rajat Patidar-led side.
The Bengaluru-based side won their first title after defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2025 edition. After last night's win, former India cricketer Saba Karim has credited skipper Rajat Patidar for RCB's success in the past two seasons.
Rajat Patidar's inspiring journey in RCB
In an interaction with JioHotstar, Karim noted that the success achieved by RCB would not have been possible if Patidar wasn't there, as he brings the clarity about individual roles in the dressing room.
“One of the biggest reasons behind RCB winning a second consecutive title has been the clarity around individual roles within the team, and Rajat Patidar deserves a lot of credit for that," said Saba Karim.
The former India cricketer noted how Rajat Patidar came in as an injury replacement and transformed himself into a pillar behind RCB's success. Saba Karim backed his claims by saying that the Madhya Pradesh batter has gained trust of senior players like Virat which is not an easy task.
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“If you look at his journey, he came in as a replacement player and eventually became the captain. For someone without international experience, earning respect in a dressing room filled with world-class players, including Virat Kohli, is not easy," added Karim.
“Rajat earned that respect through consistent performances. Once he established himself, he became instrumental in shaping this side. He has played a major role in building a strong bowling unit. I also see a lot of clarity in his captaincy. When we talk about captains who have led teams to consecutive titles, names like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma come up, and I can see similarities in the way Rajat Patidar leads this team," Karim concluded.
Rajat Patidar's successful IPL 2026 campaign
The RCB skipper had a historic individual campaign with the bat, amassing 558 runs in just 15 games at an average of 46.50 with a staggering strike rate of 177.14. He led from the front to guide the Bengaluru-based side to their second consecutive IPL title.
The star right-handed batter recorded five half-centuries, with unbeaten 93 against GT in the Qualifier 1 clash being his highest score in the tournament.