Delhi: After becoming the first team to secure a place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is now preparing for its last league match. The team has to take the field against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on 22nd May and before that a relief news has come out for the fans. Team captain Rajat Patidar has once again joined the squad.

RCB captain returned before the playoffs

In the last match played against Punjab Kings, Rajat Patidar could not take the field due to injury. He did not even go to Dharamshala with the team. In his absence, wicketkeeper batsman Jitesh Sharma took over the captaincy and the team performed brilliantly and registered victory.

Now when the RCB team reached Hyderabad, Rajat Patidar was also seen with the players. It is believed that he is now completely fit and can make a comeback in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

There may be a big change in the playing eleven

With the return of Rajat Patidar, changes in the playing eleven of RCB are considered almost certain. After getting a chance in the last match, Venkatesh Iyer impressed with his performance. In such a situation, the team management would hardly take the risk of keeping him out.

There is a possibility that Venkatesh Iyer may be given the role of opening batsman, so that his excellent form can be taken advantage of from the beginning. On the other hand, Jacob Bethel, who is struggling with continuous poor performance, may have to sit out.

Phil Salt’s fitness becomes a concern

Another concern for the team is the fitness of Phil Salt. He is said to be not completely fit right now. In such a situation, if he remains out of the playing eleven, then Venkatesh Iyer can be seen opening the innings with veteran batsman Virat Kohli.

Before the playoffs, the RCB team is busy finding the right combination and the match against Hyderabad is considered very important for the team in terms of preparation.