Patidar's redemption arc puts the wind in RCB's sails

Delhi Capitals did themselves no favours and missed even four chances in 11 balls. Three of them included Rajat Patidar, who finished with 52 off 32, becoming only the third Indian player to score five fifties or more in IPL history in a Royal Challengers Bengaluru season.

It's a feat the Patidars would cherish coming into a tough Test series against England earlier this year. Until then, he had been drafted in as a batsman with a good domestic record, and the field displayed a refreshed version of the batsman he had come to be known for. Over six innings, he went out to all kinds of spin - orthodox left-arm, off-spin and leg-spin. Just 63 runs hardly reflected the reputation he had built as one of the best spinners to roam the Indian domestic circuit.

"I can't change the past, it's important for me to stay in the present and do my best for the team," Patidar said reflecting on the series. It's a mantra that has served him well in IPL 2024, once again making a strong case that his reputation needs to be restored.

Against the Delhi Capitals, who currently boast arguably the best attacking punch in the competition with two of India's best shooters in the format, the Patidars showed little of the respect they would normally command. He pushed back the second ball he had against Aksar Patel for a six and similarly moved the second ball against Kuldeep Yadav for a six. Axar's second six showed his ability to seemingly shorten lengths that weren't there as he pulled him for another six.

These knocks on either side of the last over gave RCB a huge luxury. Their cause was not helped by the fact that their best spinner in the team, Glenn Maxwell, was sidelined due to poor form and a self-inflicted break. They badly needed to link the Virat Kohli-led top-order renaissance with the Dinesh Karthik-led lower-order boom. Will Jacks more than adequately filled one of those voids and ensured similar success for someone like Patidar.

All five Patidar fifties this season have come from no. The 4 slots came in a batting order that finally found its rhythm. This gave Patidar a good opportunity to showcase his mettle while at the same time serving a purpose for RCB in building his squad.

Patidar's batting ability has been so good this season that he is proving to be the best batsman in India's middle order against this pack. Some of the numbers to back this up include 20 sixes against spin, the most hit in an IPL 2024 game along with Abhishek Sharma. Patidar also averages 91 against spin. But doing so with a stratospheric strikeout rate of 224.69 was the big difference between him and others of his ilk this season. That, in turn, made him the most prolific six-hitter in overs (7-for-15) with 26, well behind second-best Ryan Parag, who has 20.

This rise is the result of a conscious decision to bat in the middle order that the Patidars revealed. "I think I batted too much in the top order," he said. This role simplified Patidar's main task in many ways. "I think if you go to the top of the order, you have an extra cushion. But if you go in 10th or 11th, you don't have that extra cushion. So you have to be very quick to make a decision."

Patidar's resurgence as a powerhouse bat in the middle order has worked well for RCB's trajectory in the tournament. Three of his fifties came during RCB's five-match winning streak and another was instrumental in that, within one run of chasing 220. There, too, his dismantling of leg-spinner Suyash Sharma and a brief encounter with Sunil Narine showed that special skills were put to good effect.

Patidar imposes something basic on these rather elitist skills. "Handpicking is important to me, that's my greatest strength."

At a time when RCB seemed sweeter with every match, Patidar's recipes ranked among the tastiest. And they don't mind one or even a few more servings of the same.