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Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar played a rescue act from a tricky situation against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.

Coming out to bat at number four, he produced a sensational innings that not only saved his side from a collapse but also took them to a very competitive total.

Early collapse puts RCB under pressure

RCB’s innings started in a horrible fashion when opener Phil Salt departed on the very first ball. Virat Kohli then stitched a quick and impactful partnership with Devdutt Padikkal.

However, once that stand was broken, wickets kept tumbling and none of the batters were able to settle. The middle order crumbled badly. Even players like Tim David and Jitesh Sharma departed without troubling the opposition bowlers much.

Rajat Patidar anchors innings with composure

However, Rajat Patidar kept his cool and stayed in the crease, playing some brilliant shots under pressure. He eventually scored 63 runs off 40 deliveries, including four fours and four sixes.

Down the order, Romario Shepherd and Venkatesh Iyer chipped in with quick cameos of 22 and 29 respectively, helping the side reach the 200 run mark.

Despite delivering such performances over the years in the IPL, Patidar is still out of the Indian set up, which continues to raise questions around team selection and opportunities.

Fans applaud gritty knock

Fans were quick to appreciate Patidar’s gritty and composed knock, praising his ability to anchor the innings and deliver under pressure.

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