2 min readUpdated: Apr 15, 2026 11:28 PM IST
Fomer India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Virat Kohli had words of high praise for his incumbent skipper, Rajat Patidar, after the Madhya Pradesh batter hit another quickfire 13-ball 27, which proved important for their five-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in Bengaluru on Wednesday, taking his side to the top of the IPL table.
“We have our KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) as a batting unit and it says Rajat has to go in and assess the situation. I always tell him, you’re probably looking to assess the bowler’s heart rate rather than the situation, like where do these guys stand. I mean, incredible. He’s got such clarity,” Kohli said after the match.
Patidar has now scored 222 runs in five matches. Throughout, his strike-rate has held up at a quick 213.46.
Kohli was also complimentary of his side’s plans for their batting unit. “The way our management has stacked up our team, it allows us to play in a certain way. I have to adapt my roles accordingly. It allows me to play a certain way up front with (Phil) Salty. So we pass on the baton pretty nicely in this team,” he said.
The 37-year-old was speaking while receiving the Orange Cap, going top of the individual runscorers’ leaderboard after top-scoring for RCB, with 49 from 34 balls, during Wednesday’s win. A low-scoring run-chase fell nicely into Kohli’s comfort zone as he was seeking to get back into rhythm following a recent illness.
“Feeling much better than the last game. I’m still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore in the last game. Even health-wise, I’ve been under the weather for four or five days now. So, just getting back up to my best. I started off well today, so I was happy with my intensity. Again, would have liked to carry on and finish the game off,” he said, adding: “Sometimes you have to take the conditions into account as well.”
