Every captain wants to win trophies. But I never change myself because its important to be yourselfIMAGE: Rajat Patidar emphasises the importance of being authentic and true to oneself as a captain, rather than trying to imitate others. Photograph: BCCIKey PointsRajat Patidar aims to lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second consecutive IPL title, focusing on his own leadership style.He credits senior players like Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, along with the coaching staff, for their support and guidance.Patidar enjoys mentoring young players, encouraging them to focus on their strengths and believe in their abilities.Patidar is not focused on India selection or captaincy, prioritising his current role with RCB.Rajat Patidar is a win away from joining MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma as skippers who have defended the IPL title, but the Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain wanted to tread his own way as a leader rather than copying someone else.Patidar had led RCB to their maiden IPL title in 2025, and now they need to beat Gujarat Titans here on Sunday to bag their second title in a row. Patidars Philosophy: Authenticity and FocusEvery captain wants to win trophies.
But I never change myself because its important to be yourself. Thats what Ive focused on. Even if Im a captain, it doesnt mean I have to do anything different, Patidar said in the pre-match press conference on Saturday.Patidar was clear that he was not looking to compete for achievements with any past captains, and his sole focus was on guiding RCB to another title.So, Ive 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 live, I focus on what I can do best.Ive never thought about moving forward or going back.
If Im here, Im just focussing on what I can do before the final, and tomorrow is the final, so well try to give our best, he added.Learning From Senior Players and Coaching StaffBut the 32-year-old said he has been benefited by learning from senior players in the RCB dugout such as Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.There are a lot of learnings, especially off the field and on the field, there are a lot of helping hands. There are a lot of experienced players, from whom Im getting a lot of good ideas. So, Im trying to understand those ideas and apply them to the game.The Madhya Pradesh cricketer also credited RCB coaching staff - Andy Flower and Mo Bobat - for giving him the space to work.The management also plays a big role in this because they never force me. They know what kind of an individual I am.
Even the senior players know what kind of an individual I am.So, theres a good backing from the management and the senior players. So, Ive never faced such a problem. And Im in my zone. So thats helping me, he said.Guiding Young Players and Future AspirationsPatidar said he also enjoyed another important aspect of leadership role - guiding the young players in the team.I always like to spend time with them.
I always try to tell them that its important to be yourself. I was there in this situation in 2021. I was looking at the senior players. There was anxiety and nervousness.So, I keep telling them the same thing.
You dont need to look at who is standing in front of you. You are here because you deserve it. Focus on your strength rather than focussing more on what is not in your control.Since he has made good strides as a T20 player and captain, now, does he think of an India cap? Perhaps, even as the captain of India in the shortest format?Im not looking forward to any selection regarding India.
I dont visualise to be the T20 captain of India, he said.