Rajat Patidar, the skipper of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has returned to the batting line-up after healing from a finger injury on his right hand. The injury was sustained during fielding against Chennai Super Kings on May 3 and took ten days to fully recover.
Beginning with gentle throwdowns, Patidar proceeded to display his full repertoire of batting techniques during RCB’s practice session on Thursday evening, in preparation for their upcoming match against KKR. Despite a small amount of taping on his right hand, he confidently entered the nets and spent over 30 minutes batting without any apparent hindrance. However, Patidar did not participate in fielding or taking catches.
Should Patidar be cleared to compete, it would serve as a significant advantage for RCB as they strive to secure a top-two spot. With eight victories in 11 matches, RCB currently holds the second spot on the leaderboard and must secure at least two more wins to guarantee a top-two finish – a feat they haven’t accomplished since 2016.
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Patidar’s presence will help to fill the gap left by Devdutt Padikkal’s absence at No. 3. The batsman has been sidelined for the remaining matches due to a hamstring injury, prompting the team to sign opener Mayank Agarwal as his replacement. Moreover, Jacob Bethell will also be unavailable for the playoffs due to his international duties.
After a remarkable beginning, Patidar’s performance has declined somewhat – with his highest score of 23 in the last five innings. As captain in his first season, he has accumulated 239 runs in 10 innings with a strike rate of 140.58. However, his most recent half-century (a speedy 64 off 32 balls) was over a month ago in a victorious match against Mumbai Indians.
