Rajat Patidar stands alongside MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in the all-time IPL captaincy record

ByTech Word News

Rajat Patidar, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma (BCCI/IPL Photo) NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar etched his name deeper into IPL folklore as he powered the defending champions to a second straight final with a dominant 92-run win over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala on Tuesday.Fueled by a clinical all-round display, RCB completely outplayed GT in every department and stormed into the IPL 2026 final, moving a step closer to a rare back-to-back title. The standout moment of the night came from Patidar, who produced another explosive playoff masterclass. He remained unbeaten on a blistering 93 off just 33 balls, smashed 9 sixes and struck at a stunning 281.82 as he tore apart the GT bowling attack.With this feat, Patidar joined an elite group of captains who have led their teams to back-to-back IPL finals. He is now only the fifth captain in the history of the tournament to achieve this milestone, along with MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Shreyas Iyer.

  • Captains who have led their teams to back-to-back IPL finals:
  • MS Dhoni (2010, 2011)
  • Rohit Sharma (2019, 2020)
  • Hardik Pandya (2022, 2023)
  • Shreyas Iyer (2024, 2025)
  • Rajat Patidar (2025, 2026)

RCB’s consistency has also placed them in an elite group of franchises to reach back-to-back finals as defending champions alongside powerhouses like Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans in different eras of the IPL.The 92-run win also stood out historically and ranks among the biggest wins in IPL play-off cricket in terms of run margin.

  • Biggest wins in IPL knockouts/play-offs (by runs):
  • 105 RR vs DC (Wankhede, 2008)
  • 92 RCB vs GT (Dharamsala, 2026)
  • 86 CSK vs DC (Chennai, 2012)
  • 81 MI vs LSG (Chennai, 2023)
  • 71 RCB vs RR (Pune, 2015)

However, GT remains alive in the competition and will get another chance to reach the final when they take on the winner of the Eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 on Friday.