Former KKR head Chandrakant Pandit heaps praise on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Rajat Patidar, under whose captaincy the franchise won its maiden IPL title after 18 long years. Pandit, who is well known for grooming emerging players, spotted immense potential in a young Rajat Patidar.
Over the years, as Patidar has grown more mature, his cricket talents have blossomed. The experienced coach mentioned that it would be wrong to recognise Rajat Patidar only as a limited-overs batter.
Chandrakant Pandit praised Rajat Patidar’s skills against the red ball
The 64-year-old said that Patidar is an incredibly limited-over batter, but his batting skill sets and approach are equally effective in the multi-day games as well. For example, the coach mentioned the Ranji Trophy. Patidar has good stats in the Ranji Trophy as well.
In the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy, the middle-order batter scored 266 runs for Madhya Pradesh in 7 innings, averaging 44.33, which reflects the batter’s capabilities to adapt to the longer format of the game as well.
“Rajat is a quality player, and everyone is aware of his abilities. What makes him special is that his talent is not limited to just one format—it extends from the Ranji Trophy to T20 cricket. While most people have seen him more in the T20 format, many also admire his performances in domestic multi-day cricket like the Ranji Trophy,” Chandrakant Pandit told RevSportz in an interview.
The former KKR coach points out Patidar’s rare ability as a batter
Pandit explained that Patidar is very good at reading the line and length of a delivery. As he predicts the trajectory of a delivery early, it makes it easy to select his next move to counter the ball. Even in the red ball matches, his approach remains the same, ready to take on the bowlers.
“Another key strength is his ability to judge line and length very quickly, which contributes significantly to his success. Rajat can dominate any bowler, and that is a rare and valuable trait. Even in red-ball cricket, his approach remains consistent. Although he got the opportunity to represent India, he was unfortunate not to fully justify his talent at that level,” the coach explained.
“However, his abilities are evident to everyone, especially in T20 cricket, where he reads bowlers quickly and plays without fear. Once he gets going, it becomes very difficult for the opposition to stop him. He can win matches single-handedly,” he added.
The experienced coach explains why Patidar is successful
As the topic of discussion is Rajat Patidar, it is obvious to talk about RCB’s glorious moment in the IPL 2025 season. Pandit observed that the batter has improved a lot in the last couple of sessions, not only as a batter but also as a leader.
“In the last two IPL seasons, he has shown remarkable growth, both with the bat and as a leader. He carried that confidence into the T20 format, where Bangalore won the trophy under his captaincy. Of course, he has received valuable guidance from experienced coaches and support staff, which has helped him grow further. Being surrounded by accomplished players has also contributed to his development and confidence,” the former KKR coach stated.
He concluded by saying, “Overall, Rajat Patidar is a complete package as a player. He can perform in any format and for any team. Additionally, he has now developed strong leadership skills, which we are already witnessing on the field.”
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