TimesofIndia.com in Dharamsala: On the eve of IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 against the Gujarat Titans (GT), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar said that one perception he wanted to change about himself was that he prefers playing spinners; instead, he believes his game suits fast bowlers more.“I have dominated the fast bowlers more this year. There is a perception about me that I play spinners better. But if someone asks me, I always say that I prefer fast bowlers,” he had said. And the numbers don’t lie. Patidar has hit 41 sixes in this year’s IPL, with 27 of them coming against fast bowlers. He’s scored 486 runs in 14 matches, but the numbers do not fully capture the impact he has created. Batting at no. 4, he has hit five fifties and scored at a strike rate of 196.76.On Tuesday evening, before the laser show lit up the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, it was Patidar who set the stage on fire. The 32-year-old produced one of the most electrifying knocks of the season, hammering a spectacular 93 off 33 deliveries. It was an innings built on timing and relentless intent. He smoked nine towering sixes, with seven of them coming against pacers. Among them, the standout was an extraordinary hit off Kagiso Rabada in the seventh over. The right-hander rocked back and effortlessly hit a good-length delivery over covers for a maximum. It was a stroke that perfectly summed up the confidence and authority with which he batted. Patidar’s innings did not explode immediately. He initially worked his way in with measured singles and quiet accumulation, rotating strike while allowing the innings to settle. At that stage, RCB had lost two set batsmen in Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli in quick succession. Patidar’s approach was one of patience rather than immediate aggression.His first significant statement arrived in the 11th over when Jason Holder dropped short and Patidar quickly transferred his weight onto the back foot, pulling the ball deep into the stands over mid-wicket. The shot not only brought up RCB’s hundred but also released pressure that had been building.There were moments of fortune too. Against Prasidh Krishna in the 12th over, an attempted big shot produced an inside edge that flew past Jos Buttler, bringing a bye. Soon after, Patidar survived a huge scare when a leading edge ballooned high over the wicketkeeper’s head and landed safely between the converging fielders. A pull shot in the same over almost ended his innings but Rabada put down a straightforward chance in the deep.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s skipper Rajat Patidar plays a shot during the Indian Premier League 2026 Qualifier 1 match against the Gujarat Titans at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, in Dharamsala on Tuesday. (ANI)
Those moments proved expensive for GT.Patidar began accelerating rapidly in the 15th over against Kulwant Khejroliya. A mistimed lofted stroke reached the ropes before he followed it with a stylish six over long leg, using the angle of the delivery brilliantly. He finished the over by clearing the ropes again and then finding the boundary, collecting 28 runs in a momentum-shifting over that firmly swung the contest.The spinners found no relief either.Rashid Khan, normally one of the toughest bowlers to dominate, became Patidar’s next target. A slightly short delivery disappeared over long-on before Patidar ended the over with a magnificent inside-out six over cover, dancing with the spin and hitting with complete freedom.The assault intensified against Rabada. Patidar brought up a blazing fifty off just 21 balls with a brutal pull over deep mid-wicket and then immediately followed it with that stunning back-foot drive over cover. Few batsmen attempt such a stroke against high pace; even fewer execute it so cleanly.
By this stage, Patidar looked unstoppable.Mohammed Siraj suffered next. A wide full toss was sliced over backward point for six before another over-pitched delivery was launched for four. Patidar had entered a phase where almost every scoring opportunity became a boundary.Prasidh Krishna, in the last over of RCB’s innings, felt the full force of Patidar’s finishing assault. A full toss on the hips disappeared over backward square leg for six. Another massive hit straight back over the bowler pushed him into the nineties.Patidar changed the pace of the innings almost single-handedly. He survived pressure, rode his luck, and then dismantled both pace and spin with equal authority. His 93 was more than just a collection of runs; it was an exhibition of fearless batting.
