- RCB face GT in the IPL 2026 final on Sunday in Ahmedabad.
- Rajat Patidar believes this game will not be legacy-defining.
- He says his team are looking at this a fresh season without thinking about the 2025 final.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru face the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Sunday in a bid to win a second IPL title. RCB captain Rajat Patidar played a whirlwind knock in Qualifier 1 to book their place in the final.
For Patidar, the game itself is an opportunity to become the first captain to win back-to-back IPL trophies in his first two seasons as captain. The RCB captain, however, does not believe the game will be legacy-defining. He chooses instead to enjoy the occasion and focus on the task at hand.
Speaking to the media in Ahmedabad ahead of their training session, Patidar had the following to say:
“I’ve never thought about what other captains have done before or whether I want to compete with someone. As an individual, my journey has had its ups and downs, but I’ve never focused on that (legacy).”
“Wherever I am, I focus on what I can do best in that moment. I’ve never thought too much about moving forward or looking back. Right now, we’re focused on giving our best in the final.”
I’ve never tried to change myself: Rajat Patidar on captaincy
Rajat Patidar led RCB to their first-ever IPL title in 2025. Before then, the Bengaluru franchise had not won the competition since its inception in 2008. As a result, Patidar now occupies cult-like status among sports fans in the city, having led them to the Holy Grail of franchise cricket in India.
Patidar, however, does not believe that he is under any pressure to prove himself again. He credits the team management for allowing him to live by his methods, never forcing him to be ‘anyone else’. He said:
“It’s a great opportunity for me to learn from so many experienced players. At the same time, I’ve never tried to change myself. It’s important to be yourself. Just because I’m captain doesn’t mean I need to become someone different. The management has played a big role. They’ve never forced me to be anyone else.”
“They know what kind of person I am. The senior players also understand that. I’ve had good backing from both the management and the senior players, so I’ve never really faced any problems. I’m just staying in my zone and that’s helping me.”
We’re not thinking like defending champions: Patidar on RCB’s mindset ahead of IPL 2026 final
In addition to the regular chat around Sunday’s final, there’s also been a lot of talk around Rajat Patidar making the Indian T20I side ahead of series against Ireland, England and Zimbabwe. There has also been some online discourse around the possibility of Patidar replacing Suryakumar Yadav as India captain. Patidar chose to downplay that line of thought immediately before bringing the conversation back to RCB. He said:
“I haven’t visualised myself as India’s T20 captain. But every captain wants to win trophies. We won one last year, but this is a new season. You can’t keep talking about what happened in 2025. You have to stay in the present and focus on what you can do now to win another title.”
Patidar then continued speaking about RCB’s mindset ahead of the final. While they come into this game with a chance to win two trophies in a row, Patidar says the RCB side are approaching this as a different season with an opportunity to win a new trophy. He added:
“To be honest, I don’t think we’ve changed much. The mindset is the same. We’re not thinking like defending champions. We don’t see it as defending something we won in 2025. It’s a new season and a new opportunity. Our mindset is that we’re here to win another title.”
Although he seems to be downplaying the significance of the match, it is an opportunity for Rajat Patidar to etch his name in history. However, they do have a massive roadblock in the form of Gujarat Titans in their way. The Titans have won five of their last seven games at Ahmedabad, including each of their last four.
While RCB are arguably the best side in the tournament, GT have made their case as the tournament wore on. The Titans’ top 3 and bowling attack are going to pose a stern challenge to RCB’s chances of winning. Bengaluru will have to be at their best if they are to become the third team to win consecutive titles.
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