Royal Challengers Bengaluru face Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 championship clash on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The stakes could not be higher for either side, yet it is the defending champions who carry the heavier weight of expectation. Under Patidar's leadership, RCB ended an 18-year title drought by defeating the Punjab Kings to win the 2025 IPL championship, and now a historic double beckons.
Rajat Patidar on staying authentic as RCB captain:
The 31-year-old spoke candidly at the pre-match press conference, and his words reflected the very quality that has defined his captaincy since day one. "Every captain wants to win trophies. But I never change myself because it is important to be yourself. That is what I have focused on. Even if I am a captain, it does not mean I have to do anything different," Patidar stated. His tone carried no arrogance, only a quiet certainty that sits at the core of good leadership.
Patidar will have the chance to become only the third skipper to win back-to-back IPL titles, after Chennai Super Kings' MS Dhoni and Mumbai Indians' Rohit Sharma. Rather than letting that weight alter his approach, he redirected focus entirely onto his own performance and his side's collective mindset.
Rajat Patidar on his personal journey and RCB's IPL 2026 Final approach
"As an individual, my journey has been a rollercoaster ride. Wherever I live, I focus on what I can do best. I have never thought about moving forward or going back. If I am here, I am just focusing on what I can do before the final, and tomorrow is the final, so we will try to give our best," he added. Those words speak volumes about a cricketer who, unlike Dhoni or Rohit, arrived at this stage without a bulging international resume to fall back on, yet carries himself with uncommon composure.
His sensational 93 not out off just 33 balls in Qualifier 1 powered RCB to a record playoff total of 254/5, securing a 92-run win and a place in a second consecutive final. Form and leadership have aligned at precisely the right moment for RCB, and Rajat Patidar walks into Sunday's contest as the calmest man in the room.
