Patidar is on the verge of becoming only the third captain to win back-to-back IPL titles.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Rajat Patidar is on the verge of writing history, aiming to become only the third captain—after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma—to win back-to-back IPL titles.
In Qualifier 1 against the Gujarat Titans (GT), Patidar led by example with a blistering, unbeaten 93 off just 33 balls to power his side to a massive playoff record total of 254/5 and a dominating 92-run victory.
RCB will once again lock horns with GT in the summit clash, scheduled for Sunday (May 31) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
On the eve of the grand finale, Patidar addressed a press conference, where he asked about joining the ranks of Dhoni and Rohit as a back-to-back champion.
While responding to the question, Patidar remained grounded, emphasizing that his focus is on the challenge at hand rather than comparing himself to other leaders.
"I've never thought about what another captain has done before, and whether I want to compete with someone or not. I've never thought about that," Patidar told reporters.
"And as an individual, my journey has been a rollercoaster. I've never focused on that. Wherever I am, I focus on what I can do best.
"I've never thought about moving forward or going back. If I'm here, I'm just focusing on what I can do before the final. Tomorrow is the final, so we'll try to give our best," he added.
Patidar's swashbuckling performances for Madhya Pradesh and RCB have sparked chatter about his inclusion in the Indian T20I setup and even his potential to step in as a captain. While the right-hander has represented India in three Tests and an ODI, he is yet to make his T20I debut.
When directly asked about his national ambitions and captaincy roles, Patidar replied, "I'm not looking forward to any selection regarding India. So, I'm not looking forward to it. I don't visualise being the T20 captain of India. But at the same time, every captain wants to win trophies."
Under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, RCB ended their 17-year trophy drought by winning their maiden IPL title in 2025 and have returned to the brink of another championship in 2026.
Ahead of the final, Patidar stressed the importance of forward-looking mindset rather than past glory.
"Last year we did it, but again it's a new season. You cannot keep talking about 2025 and what we did. You have to be more in the present and do whatever best you can do to win the title," he said.
"I don't think we changed anything or are thinking differently. We are in the same mindset. But as I said earlier, we are not here to defend anything with the mindset of defending champions. We have an opportunity to win one more title.
"We have to keep that sort of mindset that we are here to win the title, not defend anything that we did in 2025. It's a new season and a new opportunity to do it again in 2026."
The captain also credited a cultural shift within the squad where every batter and bowler takes responsibility to contribute to the team's success.
"Earlier, there were one or two players the team depended on. But now every player is taking responsibility when he goes out to bat or bowl," Patidar said.
"So I think the word 'responsibility' is the main thing that every individual is thinking about. Responsibility and being eager to contribute to the team.
"And having the same mindset that we are not here just to play qualifiers. We are here to play finals and win finals. So I think that mindset has changed."