Rajat Patidar. (Source -IPL/BCCI)
Rajat Patidar revealed the factors that led to the remarkable resurgence of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). RCB were in dire straits after losing seven out of their first eight matches this season.
Apart from the talismanic Virat Kohli, no other player was looking in good touch. However, Faf du Plessis and Co. managed to turn things around commendably as they won five games in a row and are challenging for a late entry into the playoffs. Currently, RCB are positioned at No. 6 on the table and will be playing a must-win final league game against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, May 18.
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Patidar, who has been in exemplary form, especially in the second half of the tournament, said that the support from the franchise and the team management motivated the players to forge the turnaround. He also said that the team environment was good even when they were not being able to get the desired results. He also credited the stunning revival of RCB to the mantra of ‘playing for pride’.
“To get support from the franchise and the team management allows the players to do their best on the field. The environment was good in the team even when things were not going our away. I think that plays a huge role in building the character of the team. I think that of course it’s a big franchise and playing for pride that was turn around. We have done earlier also in 2016. So I think we have an example in our own team pricing there,” Patidar said in a media interaction on Tuesday, May 14.
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Patidar has scored 320 runs from 11 innings in IPL 2024. The 30-year-old has an average of 29.09 and a strike rate of 179.78. He has registered five half-centuries this season, three of them coming in the last five matches.