Patidar: Mindset is the same as last year's final

Patidar is one win away from being the third man to defend IPL titles As captain

Rajat Patidar isn't thinking of Sunday's IPL 2026 final as possibly being legacy-defining. Neither is he stressed about T20I selection or India captaincy. He simply wants to enjoy the occasion Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have worked doubly hard for.

"I've never thought about what other captains have done before or whether I want to compete with someone," he said in Ahmedabad prior to RCB's training session. "As an individual, my journey has had its ups and downs, but I've never focused on that [captaincy, legacy].RelatedPatidar, bringing the powerplay to the middle overs

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"Wherever I am, I focus on what I can do best in that moment. I've never thought too much about moving forward or looking back. Right now, we're focused on giving our best in the final."

Patidar stressed on the learnings he continues to take away from each game as captain, even though there hasn't been any pressure to prove a point having won a title in 2025, his very first season in charge.

"It's a great opportunity for me to learn from so many experienced players," he said. "At the same time, I've never tried to change myself. It's important to be yourself. Just because I'm captain doesn't mean I need to become someone different. The management has played a big role. They've never forced me to be anyone else.

"They know what kind of person I am. The senior players also understand that. I've had good backing from both the management and the senior players, so I've never really faced any problems. I'm just staying in my zone and that's helping me."

As much as he tried to downplay his role and the possibility of an India call-up for Ireland and England, Patidar was still asked about it point-blank. His response was equally straightforward.

"I haven't visualised myself as India's T20 captain," he said, before drifting towards RCB and the IPL. "But every captain wants to win trophies. We won one last year, but this is a new season. You can't keep talking about what happened in 2025. You have to stay in the present and focus on what you can do now to win another title."

Last year, RCB came into the final expecting the unknown. There was a real sense of excitement and anticipation within the group. Has that experience of dealing with the pressures changed their outlook?

"To be honest, I don't think we've changed much," Patidar said. "The mindset is the same. We're not thinking like defending champions. We don't see it as defending something we won in 2025. It's a new season and a new opportunity. Our mindset is that we're here to win another title."

One of the things he has consciously focused on doing through the long season is helping the younger players within the group gain confidence, and empower them to be independent in their thinking. Patidar touched upon the importance of doing this, having experienced being star-struck as a younger and upcoming player when he first broke through in 2021.

"I always try to spend time with them," he said. "I tell them it's important to be yourself and trust your strengths. I've been in that situation myself. In 2021, I was looking at all the senior players and there was naturally some anxiety and nervousness. What I tell them is that they don't need to worry about who's standing in front of them or who is in the dressing room. They're here because they deserve to be here. Focus on your strengths and on the things you can control. That's the main message."

There was special praise for Rasikh Dar, among the younger players, who Patidar has been most impressed with. Dar has stepped in superbly to fill the gap caused by Yash Dayal's absence. Rasikh is RCB's second-highest wicket-taker this season with 16 wickets.

"When you have bowlers like Bhuvi and Hazlewood, you still need support from the rest of the attack," Patidar explained. "The way Rasikh has come in and provided breakthroughs has been very important. You can't win matches or tournaments relying on just one or two bowlers. He's bowled superbly throughout the tournament and helped ensure the workload isn't falling only on a couple of players. It's been a genuine team effort."

Patidar repeatedly stressed on responsibility and mindset whenever he was asked about the team's learnings and their journey over the last few years of resurgence. They've now made five playoffs in six seasons.

"My observation is that every player now takes responsibility, whether it's with the bat or the ball," he said. "Responsibility is probably the key word. Every individual is keen to contribute and do something for the team. The other thing is the mindset. We're not here just to qualify for the playoffs.

"We're here to play finals and win finals. I think that mindset has changed the most."