Former KKR chief Chandrakant Pandit has praised Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar, under whose captaincy the franchise won its first IPL title after 18 years. Pandit, who is known for grooming budding players, saw immense potential in young Rajat Patidar.
Over the years, as Patidar has become more mature, his cricketing talents have blossomed. The experienced coach said that it would be wrong to recognize Rajat Patidar Only as a limited overs batsman.
Chandrakant Pandit praises Rajat Patidar’s skills against the red ball
The 64-year-old said that Patidar is an incredible limited-overs batsman, but his batting skill set and approach is equally effective in multi-day games as well. For example, Koch noted ranji trophy. Patidar’s figures are good in Ranji Trophy also.
In the 2025–26 edition of the Ranji Trophy, the middle-order batsman scored 266 runs at an average of 44.33 in 7 innings for Madhya Pradesh, which also shows the batsman’s abilities to adapt to the longer format of the game.
Chandrakant Pandit told RevSportz in an interview, “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 Ranji Trophy to T20 cricket. While most people have seen him more in the T20 format, many also praise his performances in domestic multi-day cricket like Ranji Trophy.”
Former KKR coach points to Patidar’s rare ability as a batsman
Pandit told that Patidar is very good at reading the line and length of delivery. Since he can predict a ball’s trajectory in advance, it becomes easier to choose his next move to counter the ball. Even in red ball matches, his attitude remains the same, he is ready to take on the bowlers.
“Another major strength is his ability to quickly read the line and length, 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 chance to represent India, he could not fully prove his talent at that level, which is unfortunate,” the coach said.
“However, his abilities are obvious to all, especially in T20 cricket, where he reads the bowlers quickly and plays without any fear. Once he gets going, it becomes very difficult for the opposition to stop him. He can single-handedly win matches,” he said.
Experienced coach explains why Patidar is successful
Since the topic of discussion is Rajat Patidar, it is natural to talk about RCB’s glorious moment in the IPL 2025 season. Pandit observed that the batsman has improved a lot over the last few seasons, not only as a batsman but also as a leader.
The former KKR coach said, “Over the last two IPL seasons, he has shown remarkable growth 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. Being surrounded by skilled players has also contributed to his development and confidence.”
He concluded, “Overall, Rajat Patidar is a complete package as a player. He can perform in any format and for any team. Moreover, he has now developed strong leadership skills, which we are already seeing on the field.”
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