‘Our focus will be on how we can do three in a row’: Rajat Patidar following RCB’s back-to-back IPL title win

AHMEDABAD: After securing consecutive Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Rajat Patidar stressed that the team’s main focus is on maintaining their success and aiming for a third consecutive championship.

RCB clinched IPL 2026 glory, riding on a stunning 75* off 42 by Virat Kohli, to beat Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad on Sunday. RCB gunned down a tricky 156 runs to join five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in the elite list of clubs to have won back-to-back IPL titles.

“We will celebrate winning the IPL trophy in 2026, obviously, but our focus will be on how we can do three in a row,” Patidar told the reporters after the match.

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Patidar said RCB felt less pressure in 2026 than in 2025 because of their dominant performances throughout the tournament. Patidar also described his leadership style as calm and reserved, noting that while he is not highly expressive, he remains fully aware of the game’s situations and demands.

“To be honest, if I compare with last year, there was a lot of pressure in 2025. This year was calmer, because the way we played throughout the tournament, I think we have not just played, we dominated this year. So we were pretty much confident that if we were playing like this, we’re definitely going to win the second title for RCB. And my way of captaincy is different. I don’t express. I’m not expressive, but at the same time, I’m aware of the game situation,” Patidar added.

Coming to the match, put to bat first by RCB, GT scored just 155/8 in 20 overs, with Washington Sundar (50* in 37 balls, with five fours) and Nishant Sindhu (20 in 18 balls, with three fours) being the only ones to cross the 20-run mark. Rasikh Dar Salam (3/27), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) took wickets regularly.

RCB started well with a 62-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer (32 in 16 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Virat Kohli. GT showed some fight, reducing RCB to 132/5 at one point, but Virat (75* in 42 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) guided RCB to a win with two overs left. (ANI)