Rajat Patidar leaves Kohli behind; joins Rohit, Dhoni [Source: AFP]RCB captain Rajat Patidar outclassed Virat Kohli and joined the likes of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni in a clinical IPL captaincy feat. Rajat Patidar played an outrageous knock, as RCB thrashed Gujarat Titans in qualifier 1 to enter the IPL 2026 final. The defending champions defeated GT by 92 runs, becoming the first team to qualify for the ultimate clash. Thus, he achieved a rare captaincy record, joining the talismanic duo of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni and eclipsing Virat Kohli on an elite list. RCB enter IPL 2026 final following massive win vs Gujarat TitansGiven that Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished as the two best teams of the group stage, a nail-biting contest was expected in Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. However, contrary to the expectations, the game was completely one-sided, with the Royal Challengers swatting aside the Titans by a whopping margin of 92 runs. Batting first, RCB posted a gigantic total of 254 runs, riding on Rajat Patidar's fireworks. The Royal Challengers' skipper hammered a breathtaking 33-ball 93, setting the foundation for a huge win. Also Read: Rajat Patidar Leaves Virat Kohli In Awe With Crazy Sixes In Qualifier 1The RCB bowling unit, led by Jacob Duffy and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, annihilated Gujarat Titans, as the defending champions booked their berth for the IPL 2026 final. Their second consecutive entry to the IPL final placed Rajat Patidar in the league of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. Rajat Patidar eclipses Virat Kohli; recreates MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma's IPL featThis is the first time RCB have qualified for the IPL final in two consecutive seasons. Thus, Rajat Patidar became the first captain to lead the Red Brigade to the final in successive IPL editions. While Virat Kohli led RCB to the final in the 2016 season, Patidar did it in 2025 and 2026, thereby joining MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Shreyas Iyer- the other captains with back-to-back appearances in the IPL final. Captains to lead their teams into consecutive IPL FinalsMS Dhoni - CSK (2010, 2011)Rohit Sharma - MI (2019, 2020)Hardik Pandya - GT (2022, 2023)Shreyas Iyer - KKR and PBKS (2024, 2025)Rajat Patidar - RCB (2025, 2026)As mentioned above, Rohit Sharma made Mumbai Indians qualify for the IPL finals in 2019 and 2020, while MS Dhoni did it for CSK in 2010 and 2011. Hardik Pandya led the Gujarat Titans to back-to-back finals in IPL 2022 and 2023. Shreyas Iyer is the only captain to lead different franchises to IPL finals in back-to-back seasons, while Rajat Patidar became the first-ever RCB captain to achieve the remarkable feat. Rajat Patidar eyes historic IPL featWith RCB qualifying for the IPL 2026 final, Rajat Patidar has a golden opportunity to join the list of elite captains with consecutive titles in the tournament. His stint has reaped massive rewards for the Royal Challengers, as they aim to clinch their second IPL title and recreate the incredible feats of Mumbai Indians and CSK. The IPL final will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where the Royal Challengers defeated Punjab Kings to bag their maiden title. They will take on the winner of qualifier 2 in the final, which will be played on May 31. Also Read: RCB Hit Gujarat Titans’ Biggest Choke Points To Storm Into IPL 2026 Final
