Rajat Patidar’s stocks are at an all-time high, as not only he is the third-highest run-getter in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT 2024), but has captained the Madhya Pradesh team into the final of the tournament.
MP will face Mumbai in the final of the SMAT 2024 on December 15, Sunday.
Patidar has led from the front, scoring 347 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 182.63, including four half-centuries. He trails Ajinkya Rahane (432 runs) and Bihar's Sakibul Gani (353 runs) in the SMAT scoring charts.
Patidar was also retained by the RCB franchise, for INR 11 crore, along with Virat Kohli and Yash Dayal.
"Yes, definitely. RCB is a big franchise, and I love playing for RCB. So, the retention gave me a lot of confidence," he said to PTI.
With RCB releasing Faf du Plessis, who captained them from 2022-2024, they will need a new captain and along with Virat Kohli, Patidar’s name was also floated as a potential captain of the franchise. Patidar expressed his willingness to embrace the leadership role if the opportunity arises.
"Of course, if I get an opportunity to lead RCB, that is what I am there for, and I will be happy. But it all depends on the franchise," he said.
But Patidar's immediate goal is to lead Madhya Pradesh to their first SMAT title. They will play Mumbai in the final on Sunday, at the same site where they won the Ranji Trophy two seasons ago.
Madhya Pradesh defeated Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final, with Patidar contributing 122 runs to their six-wicket victory.
Patidar spoke about the responsibilities of captaincy and credited coach Chandrakant Pandit, for shaping his captaincy skills.
"I have learnt a lot from it. I have enjoyed learning the tactics. I love observing players and anticipating what they might do. I have learnt a lot about captaincy from my coach, Chandrakant Pandit. Everybody knows that he is the best coach in India," he said.
Despite a brief stay with the Indian Test team, Patidar's international career has not progressed as he would have liked. However, the Madhya Pradesh batter is motivated to earn another chance with excellent local achievements. His six innings against England earlier this year yielded just 63 runs.
Nonetheless, he has shown excellent form in the first part of the Ranji Trophy and the present SMAT.
"I enjoyed being part of the Test team. But sometimes I feel bad that I missed the opportunity. It’s alright; sometimes things don’t go your way. I think acceptance is the key. You have to accept that there will be failures in the cricketing journey. It’s important for me to face them and learn from them,” he stated.
He emphasized the importance of moving forward and focusing on creating new opportunities.
"I have accepted it, and I am moving forward. It’s a part and parcel of the game. I can re-create the opportunity," he concluded.
(PTI inputs)
