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Rajat Patidar could have been instrumental in this IPL season for Royal Challengers Bangalore. The full-back gave him an extended run last season and the right-hander finally hit his mark. He continued in this form even in the domestic season and was even included in the Indian side.
However, RCB were shocked when Patidar was sidelined for the season and the team have been struggling to find a good alternative. Hitting relies heavily on Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. Glenn Maxwell showed classic form for him against Chennai Super Kings, but he always blows hot and cold.
Here we take a look at three reasons why Rajit Patidar is a big loss for RCB this IPL season:
#3 Strength in the middle order
As things stand at the moment, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis are RCB’s two main men. Although they have Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik, these players haven’t been able to provide any sort of stability to the batting order.
Rajat Patidar is a true midrange hitter who could have given the lower midrange enough protection. His presence would also have allowed the starters to play without immense pressure every time they came out to start the innings.
#2 Excellent effects player
Rajat Patidar was in great shape before the IPL. He scored big runs in the last Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he scored 272 runs in six games at an average of 54.40. He has excellent technique and never slows down against spinners.
For the past two seasons, Virat Kohli has had trouble overpowering the slower bowlers and Dinesh Karthik also likes pace with the ball. As such, Patidar would have been an excellent pick to take down spinners in the middle of the innings.
He’s the traditional hitter, playing all the orthodox shots and therefore very consistent. After an excellent year last season, he would have been much more confident in his abilities and therefore he is a big miss for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
#1 Lack of good Indian hitters
The absence of Rajat Patidar has seen RCB try to get the best out of Suyash Prabhudessai, Anuj Rawat and Mahipal Lomror. There have been some standout moments, but none of the three players have shown enough to warrant a permanent spot in the middle order. This has given RCB a lot of headache and therefore they have been forced to alter their batting order.
In every game so far, RCB has done well only when their openers have started to perform. This can’t be the way to go if the team has to advance to the playoffs. RCB will surely miss Rajat Patidar and his experience and pedigree.
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