Will RCB captain Rajat Patidar play in IPL 2026 vs SRH match? Mo Bobat provides a major update

Ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s final league match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat confirmed that skipper Rajat Patidar is available for selection after missing the previous match due to concussion-related protocols.RCB, who have already qualified for the playoffs, will look to finish the league stage on top with a win over SRH. Patidar missed the match against Punjab Kings after being hit on the helmet during the game against Kolkata Knight Riders. Wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma led the side in his absence.Ahead of the match, Bobat said: “Rajat is good to go. We were careful and didn’t take any chances with him. We thought we would give him a bit longer to recover and rest, but he is here, training and good to go.”Bobat added that the team is only focused on the next match and not thinking too far ahead.“It sounds a bit cliche but we just try to take it one game at a time. Whether we’re home or away, we don’t really care. We try to understand the conditions, respect the opposition, plan for them and then focus on what we’re good at and try to do it as well as we can.”“And then you repeat it really for every group game, so I don’t know if there’s a code or a secret. It’s pleasing that we’ve been consistent. Of course we’ve won a number of games and even the games we haven’t won, we’ve been competitive, so that’s good. We feel good about it, but we do it simply by focusing on the next game,” he continued.Speaking about the SRH clash, Bobat said: “All the teams in this competition are good sides, there are dangerous players in every team and anyone can take the game away from you, so you have to be very humble and respect the opposition but also be clear about your own strengths. We are not too tied down by any history or records, we are just focused on the game tomorrow night.”Bobat also praised fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who currently leads the wicket-taking charts with 24 wickets in 13 innings.“Bhuvi has been brilliant. His results have been excellent, he has taken a lot of wickets but he has also bowled with excellent rhythm. He has been effective at the front of the innings as well as at the back, so we are very happy with the way he is doing,” added Bobat.On Bhuvneshwar’s role in the team, Bobat said: “He speaks well in meetings, is a good source of insight and ideas on the field under pressure. He can also be a big support to Rajat and Jitesh, which is really important. We get huge value from him because he gives us so much.”