Royal Challengers Bengaluru have done a remarkable job of reversing their fortunes after losing seven of their opening eight IPL 2024 games. Before their final league game against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, they have won their last five games and are still in contention for the playoffs.

Rajat Patidar has been one of the main players for RCB so far, amassing 320 runs at a strike-rate of 179.77, including five half-centuries. The 30-year-old talked about learning from Virat Kohli.

“We wanted to play for pride in order to gain some momentum. Everyone was constantly putting in a lot of effort, and we never lost hope. Even though we weren’t winning, there was a good vibe in the team,” Patidar said.

Patidar revealed Rohit Sharma and Kohli are his idols and he attends Kohli’s net session just to observe and learn from the batter.

“I have always looked up to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as two of my favorite batters. I watch every one of Virat bhaiya’s net sessions with the intention of observing his footwork and more. I attempt to integrate small things that I learn from him, but I don’t go about changing too much. There is a lot of insight to be learnt from the way he approaches his innings,” he added.

The 30 year old also sheds light on his new batting position in the middle order and the risks taken when the fielding restrictions are on.

“In T20 cricket, it is essential for batters to start firing from the word go. You can’t decide to settle and hit later, it’s too late by then. This year, I have been asked to bat in the middle order, which has changed my role,” he commented.

“Although it might seem that I like playing against spinners but as a top order batsman, I actually prefer facing the pacers. However, you don’t get the same amount of time to settle in as top order batters do, so I’ve had to adjust my strategy a little bit since I was asked to bat in the middle order by the team,” he concluded.

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