4 min readMar 29, 2026 12:21 AM IST
“No words can describe Virat Kohli. When he is in, the team is always in the chase. He is the No. 1 batter,” said Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar, following his side’s commanding victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 season opener on Saturday.
Patidar, who led from the front with 12-ball-31, called it a collective effort while singling out Kohli’s chase-defining 38-ball-69 not out and debutant Jacob Duffy’s impact with the new ball.
Asked if he was happy, Patidar replied: “The way boys played and this was a season opener. Everyone chipped in and did the job. Duffy was playing his first game and the way he played and the wickets he took were the turning point.” When asked if RCB would follow Team India’s attack at all cost policy, he didn’t quite agree.
“Not a policy, we assessed the wicket and it was good. Padikkal and Kohli’s innings were the base. No words for Virat. The way he goes in, the team is chasing. He is the No. 1 batter.” He also praised Phil Salt for his brilliant catch to dismiss Ishan Kishan, who had blazed his away to 80.
“That (Ishan Kishan) was a terrific catch by Salt. Even I was surprised but he is a great fielder. I wanted to create a lot of impact and I wanted to chase this quickly. I just wanted to have a lot of impact,” Patidar said.
New Zealand pacer Duffy, who impressed on debut with a three-wicket haul, said he was simply trying to execute a clear plan and build on the work done by senior pros.
“Awesome, hell of a way to start the campaign. Great win.” Asked if he has been told to perform what Josh Hazlewood does, he said: “I am just keeping the big fellow’s seat warm. I just wanted to bowl the hard lengths, just keep the ball there. Even better that I got to walk off the field after seven overs.” “We talked about the lengths and stuff, what works here. Just build on what Josh did.” Duffy, who had got a pasting from Abhishek Sharma in T20Is in past few months, was happy to see his back.
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“I am sick of bowling to Abhishek for sure (jokes). Haven’t seen such bounce in India before as we saw here. But that was the case today.” Asked if he was told to bowl four overs upfront, he said: “Just Rajat said you go and I happily obliged. When the ball is hard and new is the best time to bowl on this surface.” Opposition skipper Kishan admitted his side lost momentum at key moments but acknowledged Kohli’s decisive role in the chase.
“We did well after losing track, which gives a lot of confidence to us. You know, especially you have to give some credit to the batters as well, the way they batted, especially Virat bhai while chasing. It was very important to get his wicket as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he keeps on going, it’s hard to stop him.” Since this was the first game, Kishan didn’t want to be too harsh on his colleagues.
“We’ll have to work a little hard. It’s the first game and these mistakes are acceptable for now. We’ll be a little more cautious with the bowling, areas where we need to execute, and we might be stronger from this game,” Kishan said.
