Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar - (Source: AFP)In IPL 2026, Rajat Patidar and his men proved that RCB’s 2025 title run was no fluke. The defending champions are on a roll and on the brink of history by winning 10 matches in an IPL season for the first time in history.RCB are playing great cricket and are placed at the top of the table with 18 points in 13 matches. The fans are optimistic for a second straight IPL title, and so is Rajat Patidar. The RCB captain recently opened up on his journey from a RCB player to captain, and eventually ending the 18-year-long title drought.Rajat Patidar Highlights Huge Faf Du Plessis ImpactIt is usual for a player to admit Virat Kohli’s presence in the dressing room and learn a lot from his leadership acumen. However, for a change, Rajat Patidar namedropped Faf Du Plessis as the leader whom he admired and followed, which actually helped RCB end the title drought.“It was crucial not to copy any of the predecessors. But there was one thing I was very influenced by from du Plessis: how he spoke to and gave importance to each player. He was confident; his body language conveyed authority on the ground,” remarked Patidar, speaking with Sportstar.Also Read: IPL 2026 Playoff Race: How Can RCB Drop Out Of Top 2 On Points Table?Even the coach, Rajat Patidar, thanked his MP coach, Chandrakant Pandit, for the constant support that shaped the leader in him.“Chandu sir taught me how meticulously you can prepare for a cricket game, how deeply you can study it. He has played for 20 years and then coached for another 20. His tactical strength was eye-opening for me,” he says.Rajat Patidar Rejects Criticism On His BattingBesides leadership, Rajat Patidar continues to be a great asset for RCB with the bat. However, “My batting was of the multi-day mould while growing up, but I still had a good strike rate in this format. I have been able to get that clarity on how to bat across formats. I worked on my T20 game and tried to add to my strengths. The shots I can play now are because I have been practising them for years. People say I play spin very well, but I actually enjoy playing pace more,” he says.Rajat Patidar's IPL 2026 Season So FarTalking about IPL 2026, Rajat Patidar has had a mixed season. The right-handed batter has scored 337 runs in 11 innings, averaging 33.70. Most importantly, the 32-year-old has batted with a strike-rate of 192.However, in the last two innings, Patidar failed to get going and for the unversed, the RCB captain missed last match against Punjab Kings due to concussion. Hence, it will be interesting to see if the right-handed batter will return to the playing XI for all-important match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.Also Read: When Shubman Gill Dropped The 'F-Bomb' On MS Dhoni's CSK
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