Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Rajasthan Royals earlier this month in Guwahati! RCB looked in some kind of hurry after being put into bat. A large number of their batsmen, including the great Virat Kohli, showed few signs of application and as a result, they didn’t stay at the crease for long.
With the exception of their captain, Rajat Patidar and impact substitute Venkatesh Iyer, the rest disappointed terribly. But still RCB managed to go past 200. Be that as it may, they were still many runs short, and RR won the match rather comfortably.
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Maybe Patidar had that match in mind when he said, “Dominance is our mindset, but we don’t want to be rigid. We want to assess the situation and adapt. That flexibility is very important for us as a batting unit.” It’s a good thing that he and his team learnt it real quick.
With four wins in six games and a third position in the points table behind Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, RCB now play Gujarat Titans tomorrow at the Chinnaswamy Stadium where they lost their last game against Delhi Capitals in the last few overs of the match. Patidar, who has scored 230 runs in six games at an awe-inspiring strike rate of 212.96, including 22 sixes, the second-highest tally in the league so far. In fact, Patidar has been a batting force to reckon with in the last few seasons, and he is just getting stronger. Last year, he did the unthinkable as RCB captain as he led the team to their first IPL trophy in history.
Talking about his batting approach as to how he has grown in recent years, Patidar said: The biggest change in my batting has come from the mind. How I see the game, how I see myself in a situation, and how I want to dominate, everything started from there.”
“I worked on a few trigger movements and discussed it with DK. Once I was convinced, I didn’t want to hold back in matches. That clarity helped me execute better.
“There is no fixed plan that I will play a certain way. If I feel I can dominate a bowler, I go for it. It is more instinct than planning,” he added.
‘Mate, I am a bowling captain’
Patidar has set the record straight that he is a bowling captain, which is an important statement since it’s a team that is batting-heavy. “I see myself as a bowling captain. In T20 cricket, bowlers are always under pressure, so I try to keep them in a good space and not show too many reactions,” he said. He had done exactly that when Romaio Shepherd couldn’t defend 15 runs in his last over against DC.
He made it clear that he ensures everyone in the team, seniors or juniors, has a say. “I have learnt a lot by observing players like Virat bhai. The biggest thing is to stay in the present and focus only on what is in your control.
“Whether it is a senior player or someone new, everyone should feel equally important. That helps them settle and perform better.”
Finally, Patidar said the team was not under pressure because of their defending champions tag. It was only natural that the other teams would be after them. “As champions, every team will come harder at us. But for us, it is about staying in the present, focusing on our process, and controlling what we can.”