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Royal Challengers Bengaluru's 2nd IPL rubric triumph came connected Rajat Patidar's 33rd birthday, but much than that being a blessed coincidence, the skipper was pleased with his team's start-to-end domination successful the league.
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RCB were an unstoppable unit from the opening match, wherever they decimated Sunrisers Hyderabad astatine the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
That bull tally reached its logical decision astatine the Narendra Modi Stadium with a five-wicket triumph implicit the Gujarat Titans successful the IPL last connected Sunday (May 31, 2026).
"To beryllium honest, past twelvemonth was a batch of pressure. This twelvemonth was much calm due to the fact that of the mode we played passim the tournament. I deliberation we person not conscionable played, we dominated this year," said Patidar successful the post-match property conference.
"So we were beauteous overmuch assured that if we are playing similar this, we are decidedly going to triumph the 2nd rubric for RCB," helium added.
He besides sent retired a acold connection for contenders — RCB are acold from finished.
"It is the champion acquisition due to the fact that it is my day contiguous [May 31, 2026]. It feels bully overall, but arsenic an individual, I effort to enactment successful the present. We volition person to absorption much connected however we tin bash 3 successful a row," helium said.
RCB's rubric defence was a corporate effort, but the imprint of Patidar arsenic a skipper and batter was unmistakable.
The Madhya Pradesh cricketer explained however helium led RCB quietly, a disposable departure from the in-your-face benignant of his predecessors Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis.
"You know, my mode of captaincy is different. I americium not that expressive, but astatine the aforesaid clip I americium alert of the crippled situation. Of course, you request a backing. As I said, determination was a batch of backing by the absorption and the players arsenic well," helium said.
The right-hander besides improved his batting by leaps and bounds this season, reflected aptly successful his 501 runs astatine a strike-rate of 192.69 successful this IPL.
"I recognize however overmuch clip I americium giving myself successful batting due to the fact that it is important to recognize your batting. Before coming to the IPL, I did a due nett session.
"I communicated a batch with [RCB mentor] DK bhai [Dinesh Karthik] astir however I could bash more, immoderate trigger movements, method changes, etc. Then I came present and continued that. I got a batch of clarity from the execution arsenic a batsman," helium explained.
Patidar could not halt gushing astir the publication elder batter Virat Kohli made to their 2nd rubric triumph successful arsenic galore years.
"I don't person words to explicate him. Virat Kohli is utilized to doing large things. He is simply a large player. Everyone knows him, the mode helium bats.
"We each person the accidental to larn from him connected the field, disconnected the field," said Patidar.
Kohli made an unbeaten 75 to marshal RCB's pursuit of 156 successful the final, and overall, the 37-year-old had different rollicking season, scoring 675 runs with a 100 and 5 fifties. He was the highest run-getter for RCB successful this IPL season.
"We walk a batch of clip unneurotic astatine breakfast. We effort to larn from him, immoderate helium says regarding cricket oregon disconnected the field. He is going to players and talking a batch astir cricket. That is superb," Patidar said.
"I ever support watching him, what helium does connected the field, disconnected the field, successful the nets. One happening I learned is that his vigor successful the nets is akin to portion helium is playing the match," helium said.
