(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Rajat Patidar, the Indian batter who finally helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lift their first-ever IPL trophy after 18 long years, is now gearing up for a big leadership role with India A. The star player, fresh from captaining RCB to glory, shared how the experience taught him invaluable lessons that he’ll carry forward.
Patidar will lead India A in the opening match of a three-match one-day series against Australia A, starting September 30. For the next two games, Tilak Varma, a key player in India’s T20I setup, takes the captain’s armband. "It’s a huge honour to captain India A against Australia A," Patidar said in an RCB press release. "This is a fantastic chance for me and the team to showcase our skills and push for a spot in the senior India team with some strong performances."
Reflecting on his standout year, Patidar called it special. It kicked off with leading Madhya Pradesh in first-class cricket, followed by RCB handing him the captaincy of their iconic franchise. Winning the IPL title against Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs in June was the cherry on top. "There were tons of learnings along the way that will help me in the future," he added. As captain, he emphasized team unity: "It’s all about coming together as a unit, backing each other up, and fighting for the team. That’s the spirit we had in RCB this season—everyone stepped up, and we’ll bring the same vibe to India A. I’m really excited for this new challenge."
Patidar’s form as both leader and batter has been on fire lately. Just this week, he guided Central Zone to the Duleep Trophy 2025 title with a thrilling six-wicket win over South Zone in Bengaluru. He smashed a brilliant 101 off 115 balls in the final and ended as the top scorer with 382 runs in five innings. That included two centuries and two half-centuries, at an average of 76.40 and a strike rate of 96.95.
The last nine to ten months have been memorable for the 32-year-old. He took Madhya Pradesh to the finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 in December, where they fell short against Mumbai. Patidar was the second-highest run-scorer there, notching 428 runs in nine innings at an average of 61.14 and a strike rate of 186.08, with five fifties and a best of 81*.
In the IPL season for RCB, Patidar delivered a solid 312 runs in 14 innings at an average of 24.00 and a strike rate of 143.77. He scored two fifties, with a top of 64, and his smart tactics and bowling changes played a key part in ending RCB’s trophy drought.
Overall, in List-A cricket, Patidar has racked up 2,211 runs in 63 innings at an average of 37.47 and a strike rate over 99. That’s four centuries, 13 fifties, and a highest of 158. He also made his ODI debut for India in 2023 against South Africa, scoring a quick 22.
Here’s a look at the India A squads for the series:
For the 1st ODI: Rajat Patidar (Captain), Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (WK), Priyansh Arya, Simarjeet Singh.
For the 2nd and 3rd ODIs: Tilak Varma (Captain), Rajat Patidar (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Vipraj Nigam, Nishant Sindhu, Gurjapneet Singh, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Porel (WK), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh.
Cricket fans, keep an eye on Patidar—he’s on a roll and ready to shine in this India A vs Australia A series!
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