At a glance:
- Rajat Patidar missed the match against Punjab Kings to rest and recover from a head injury.
- Jitesh Sharma to lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru in his absence.
- RCB need one win to officially seal an IPL 2026 playoff spot.
Rajat Patidar, the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, is not present for the IPL 2026 match against the Punjab Kings on Sunday, May 17, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. With Jitesh Sharma captaining RCB for the game, he aims to lead them to the playoffs.
For RCB to qualify for the playoffs, they must win one of their last two games. They have 16 points from 12 games and will play their next two games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and PBKS. Rajat Patidar is missing the game to rest and recover, though the team management expects him to return to the playing eleven very soon for their upcoming fixture in Hyderabad.
Why is Rajat Patidar missing RCB vs PBKS game in IPL 2026?
He suffered a head injury after being hit by a bouncer from Kartik Tyagi during the previous game against the Kolkata Knight Riders. After continuing to bat, he was dismissed for only 11 runs. Ahead of the toss, the newly appointed RCB captain Jitesh Sharma shared updates on Patidar’s fitness and the tactical changes made to the line-up.
“We would have loved to bowl first, but the wicket is good and should play well for 40 overs. Rajat is doing fantastic and we should see him in Hyderabad. Every game is important, this win can change a lot for us and other teams. Suyash replaces Rajat and Romario replaces Duffy,” Sharma said during the toss.
Read Here: Piyush Chawla points out the struggles of PBKS after defeat against MI
Shreyas Iyer Reflects on Historic 100th IPL Match as Captain for PBKS
On the other side, Shreyas Iyer, the captain of the Punjab Kings, celebrated reaching a significant personal milestone by entering his 100th IPL match. PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer described his strategy for the high-stress match, reflecting on his historic game and the tactical approach.
“I seriously had no clue that this was my 100th game as a captain but it feels great. It feels like a great opportunity for me to win my 100th game (as captain). The bowling has been fantastic, but there are pressure moments where you need to execute and so you can’t change the past, nor you can’t anticipate the future.”
RCB Hold Historical Edge Over PBKS
After winning 19 of their 37 prior meetings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a small historical lead against Punjab Kings. The two teams will play each other for the first time in the 2026 edition. After losing once against PBKS in the 2025 season, RCB defeated them three times in a row to win their first IPL championship.
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