No one-man show: How RCB became a complete unit

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Gujarat Titans in the final of IPL 2026 on May 31 in Ahmedabad. (OR) TimesofIndia.com in Dharamsala: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) journey to back-to-back IPL finals was not driven by a single superstar season or a one-man rescue act. For years, RCB has been defined by individuals, a franchise with giant names and huge expectations. Since last year’s title race, they have increasingly looked like a side with a recognizable personality defined by the team rather than individuals. And Mo Bobat, RCB’s director of cricket, says their identity reflects the man who leads them: Rajat Patidar.The captain is calm off the field and aggressive on it. RCB seems to have adopted the same rhythm. Riding on Rajat Patidar’s unbeaten 93 off 33 balls, RCB beat Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday to book their place in the title match.Speaking after the match, Bobat pointed to a trait he believes sets this RCB side apart from those of the past: the contribution is spread throughout the dressing room rather than reliance on a handful of players.“Of course, we are pleased that many people contribute to the wins,” said Bobat. “We’re not too dependent on one or two players with the bat or one or two with the ball. We have a number of people contributing.”That, more than results, seems to be at the heart of RCB’s transformation. Their campaign was built on a few hands carrying the load. The batsmen stepped up at various times, the bowlers played under pressure and the burden did not always fall on one shoulder.Bobat indicated that this is not a recent development either.

Rajat Patidar (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

“It was a model of how we played last year. We had a number of guys step up with the bat and the ball. And you need that to go far in competitions.”According to Bobat, RCB’s identity is also rooted in a specific approach: fearless intent.“And we’ve tried really hard over the last couple of years to make that our team’s identity,” he said. “We want to aggressively score runs and we want to take wickets, especially early in the innings.What is interesting is how closely this philosophy resonates with the Patidars themselves.

Dinesh Karthik and Rajat Patidar (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

The RCB captain has become one of the defining stories of this season. His batting was proactive and uncomplicated, a style based on attacking instincts rather than survival. In pressure games, he looked unfazed, confident in his methods and forcing pitchers to be defensive.Against GT in the first qualifier, he put in an innings that Bobat called “special”.“He’s definitely hitting great now and he’s been doing that throughout the competition,” Bobat said. “I’m sure he’ll be really pleased to be able to hold his own in a big qualifier and a big game.”For Bobat, a captain playing at the top of his game naturally boosts the mood in the dressing room.

I think any team that has a captain who plays well fills him with even more confidence

RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat

But Patidar influence seems to go beyond numbers. The 32-year-old is not a captain consumed by constant hits. Bobat highlighted his ability to store energy and maintain clarity.“He makes things pretty simple,” Bobat said. “He’s someone who wants to focus on his job when he gets on the field. He’s pretty relaxed when it’s all off the field. He’s very good at managing his own energy.”That simplicity was perhaps also reflected in the team itself. There is visible aggression but very little panic in RCB’s cricket. They attack, but without looking rushed.Even Patidar’s batting development reflects this mindset. Bobat jokingly recalled calling him a “spin basher” last season, which Patidar didn’t seem to appreciate.“I think he got pretty mad at me,” laughed Bobat. “I was suggesting it was just spin.This season, Patidar has worked on expanding his game and especially his efficiency against pace. Patidar has hit 41 sixes in this year’s IPL, including 27 against fast bowlers.“He has worked very hard on his game. He is working incredibly hard with both DK (Dinesh Karthik) and Andy (Flower),” said Bobat.More importantly, Bobat believes the foundations have always been there.“One of the things about Rajat is that he tends to hit the middle of the ball quite often. Whether he’s facing pace, spin, off the front foot or the back foot, the ball hits the middle of his bat quite often.”

Virat Kohli during a training session ahead of the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. (PTI)

If Patidar represents RCB’s future and present, their experienced core has become the support structure around him.Much has been said about RCB’s reliance on players on the other side of 35 such as Virat Kohli, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. However, Bobat believes their value transcends the age or experience columns.“Experience counts a lot in pressure games. I think everyone understands what Virat brings to the team, his intensity and his fight. He never lacks hunger and motivation,” he said.“Someone like Krunal is a player who has so much fight, so much aggression. He always wants to be in the game. He wants to be in the tough moments.”“Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood are calmer characters. They are not overly aggressive but they want to be in the tough moments of the game. That is when they want to stand up.”The desire to move towards pressure, rather than away from it, is perhaps the clearest reflection of this RCB side.RCB has been searching for an identity for years. This season, it increasingly looks like they’ve found one: attack without recklessness, calm without passivity and a captain whose personality seems to quietly seep into the dressing room around him.