Rajat Patidar stands on the brink of a rare achievement. If Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans in the IPL final on Sunday, he will join MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma as the only captains to successfully defend an IPL title. Yet, Patidar insists he is not looking to follow in anyone’s footsteps and prefers to lead in his own way.
Having guided RCB to their long-awaited maiden IPL crown in 2025, Patidar now has the opportunity to add another chapter to the franchise’s history by helping them retain the trophy. Despite the significance of the occasion, the skipper said his focus remains firmly on staying true to himself rather than measuring his success against that of former captains.
“Every captain wants to win trophies. But I never change myself because it’s important to be yourself. That’s what I’ve focused on. Even if I’m a captain, it doesn’t mean I have to do anything different,” Patidar said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday.
The 32-year-old made it clear that comparisons with past captains do not motivate him. Instead, he believes in concentrating on the present and doing what is best for the team.
“So, I’ve never thought about what a captain has done before and whether I want to compete with someone or not. As an individual, my journey has been a rollercoaster ride. Wherever I am, I focus on what I can do best.
“I’ve never thought about moving forward or going back. If I’m here, I’m just focusing on what I can do before the final, and tomorrow is the final, so we’ll try to give our best,” he added.