Rajat Patidar Injured: Who will lead RCB in Playoff matches
During the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 13 in Raipur, Patidar was struck on the back of his helmet by a 144 kph bouncer from pacer Kartik Tyagi.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) became the very first team to officially qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs following their commanding 23-run victory over the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamshala on Sunday, May 17, 2026. Rajat Patidar injured: Who will lead RCB in Playoff matches.
Patidar sat out of the May 17 clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamshala due to a head/concussion injury. During the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 13 in Raipur, Patidar was struck on the back of his helmet by a 144 kph bouncer from pacer Kartik Tyagi.
Although he initially continued batting (scoring 11 off 8 balls), the injury aggravated over the following days. As a precautionary measure, he did not travel with the squad to Dharamshala and missed the team’s training sessions. Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma took over as the stand-in captain for that single game.
Providing an official fitness update ahead of the upcoming match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma shared an encouraging update at the toss against Punjab Kings, stating, “Rajat is doing fantastic now and we should see him in Hyderabad.” Because he was rested early to prevent further complications, the medical staff expects him to be fully cleared to resume both his captaincy and batting duties.
In Recent updates RCB Captain Rajat Patidar will lead team in upcoming league match and playoff matches. Following their 23-run victory over PBKS on May 17, RCB has officially secured its spot in the IPL 2026 playoffs. Patidar’s return is incredibly timely as they look to lock in a top-two finish and build momentum for the knockouts.
Patidar has been leading from the front for RCB in the 2026 season, making his presence in the middle order absolutely vital. In his 10 innings prior to the injury, he scored 326 runs at a staggering, destructive strike rate of 195, which includes 3 half-centuries. He is expected to take back his regular number 4 batting spot, replacing spinner Suyash Sharma, who came into the XI as his replacement.
