Rajat Patidar, captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, hopes to capture the coveted trophy for Virat Kohli and the team’s devoted fan base, ending the team’s 18-year drought. In addition to being a member of all three of the RCB teams that lost the final in 2009, 2011, and 2016, Kohli has been with the team from the inaugural season in 2008 and captained it from 2013 to 2021.
During the pre-game news conference, Patidar stated, “Winning would mean a lot, especially for him and the fans, as Virat has contributed so much over the years.”
After defeating the Punjab Kings by eight wickets in Qualifier 1 in Mullanpur to guarantee their direct passage to the final, the Patidar-led RCB will have an advantage over them.
But thanks to Shreyas Iyer’s scorching 87 not out, Punjab managed to overcome their loss to the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2, which was played at the same location as the final, and maintain their hopes of winning their first championship.
In addition, Patidar discussed his debut season as captain of one of the world’s top cricket teams and stated that his team will concentrate on playing their best cricket rather than thinking too much.
“I always try to stay in the moment and concentrate on what I can control, but expectations come naturally, especially when you’re captaining a team like RCB in a final. Being around some of the top leaders and international players in the game has greatly influenced my attitude, so this captaincy journey has been a tremendous learning opportunity for me.
“I’ve concentrated on establishing a calm and safe atmosphere where players from both domestic and other countries feel comfortable. We are here to play our best cricket, not to care too much about the platform,” Patidar clarified.
In the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final, Patidar and his opponent faced off, with Patidar’s Madhya Pradesh losing to Iyer’s Mumbai by a margin of five wickets.
The right-handed top-order batsman claimed that facing Iyer again under different conditions was a pleasant coincidence. “It’s a pleasant coincidence to face Shreyas again in a final, but we’re ready for the challenge, which is new,” he continued.
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