IPL 2026 Qualifier 1: Rajat Patidar demolishes GT as RCB storm into second straight final

The snow-capped Dhauladhar Range of the Outer Himalayas provides a breathtaking and majestic backdrop to the HPCA Stadium in Dharmashala where spectators are usually torn between watching the towering mountain range with the glistening snow peaks and the action on the pitch on any given day.

But on Tuesday, there was no such dilemma for the thousands who thronged to watch the Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT). One, because it was a night match, meaning the mountains were hidden in the darkness and two, because the spotlight was all on the towering presence of RCB captain Rajat Patidar who single-handedly demolished Shubman Gill’s side and took the defending IPL champions to their second final in a row.

In smashing a sensational unbeaten 33-ball 93, Patidar continued his incredible run in IPL playoffs and added to his jaw-dropping record in knockout matches. His innings on Tuesday contained five fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 281.82.

In six IPL playoff innings, Patidar has made 338 runs at an average of 112.66 and a strike rate of 193.14, including a century and two fifties. His unbeaten 112 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2022 edition Eliminator remains one of the finest knocks played by an RCB batter.

He has slammed a total of 25 fours and 24 sixes in the IPL playoffs, with only Suresh Raina (40), MS Dhoni (28) and Kieron Pollard (25) having managed more sixes.

The 32-year-old is enjoying the tournament of his life, with 486 runs in 13 innings at an average of 44.18 and a strike rate of 196.76, including five fifties and a best score of 93 not out. He has smashed 29 fours and 41 sixes so far in 247 balls faced, averaging 3.5 balls per boundary shot.

"It was a super game for us. The way especially the batsmen dominated, and everyone was striking with intent, I think that was really good for us," Patidar said after the match. "It was not about having one clear plan against the bowlers, but we were ready for the challenge. You have to show some body language that we are coming for you. That attitude was there in every batsman," he added.

Patidar revealed that the team discussion before the game focused heavily on maintaining attacking intent on the big stage. "We had a chat in the meeting that we needed good body language and an attacking mindset. It was Qualifier 1, a big stage, and the way we dominated the game was superb," he said.

Talking about his own batting approach, the RCB captain said he prefers to assess the conditions first before shifting gears and putting pressure back on the bowlers.

"My batting approach is usually the same. I like to take around 8-10 balls at the start to understand how the wicket is behaving and what the ball is doing. After that, I get a clear idea about how to go ahead," Patidar explained.

"I always like to put the bowler under pressure, and I don't worry too much about the wicket," he added.

And such was Patidar’s impact on the opposition bowlers that GT’s overseas player Glenn Phillips was left shaking his head in amazement: "He's obviously a fabulous player, and when he's on, it really doesn't matter what anybody else is doing, does he? So you know he hits the ball clean, he knows his areas really well, and obviously, as the captain of that side as well, he has to play the way that he wants his boys to play," Phillips said.

"So you know everybody skins the cap differently, regardless of the situation, I think he'll play whether there's seven down by eight down, he'll probably play the exact same way and as you say when it goes well it looks fantastic but obviously the different middle out of batter players play things slightly differently to their different strengths so you know the way he played today was fantastic," he added.

And given that the winner of Qualifier 1 has won the IPL 12 out of 15 times, Patidar’s chances of holding up the trophy for the second consecutive year look as good as his strike rate.