TimesofIndia.com at Ahmedabad: Rajat Patidar Standing on the brink of history. A win against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad will make him only the third captain after the Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper. MS Dhoni And Rohit Sharma For back-to-back wins Indian Premier League (IPL) Title.“I have never thought about what another captain has done before, and whether I want to compete with anybody or not. I never thought about that,” he told reporters here.“And as an individual, my journey has been a roller coaster. I’ve never focused on that. Wherever I am, I focus on what I can do best.“I’ve never thought about moving forward or going backwards. If I’m here, I’m just focusing on what I can do before the final. Tomorrow is the final, so we’ll do our best,” he added.After guiding RCB to their long-awaited first crown in 2025, Patidar now has a chance to cement his place among the league’s most successful leaders on the biggest stage.Patidar played a 33-ball 93 against GT in Qualifier 1 and led his team to a resounding 92-run win.Patidar’s stock has risen significantly in recent times, and the dashing batsman from Madhya Pradesh, who will turn 33 in a few days, is increasingly seen as someone who can lead India in T20Is.However, the right-handed batsman, who has played three Tests and a single ODI for India, is yet to make his debut in the shortest format of the game. On the eve of the final, he dismissed questions about both national selection and ambitions to captain India.“I am not looking forward to any selection regarding India, so, I am not looking forward to it,” he said when asked about the India call-up.On the India captaincy, Patidar said: “I don’t envisage being India’s T20 captain. But at the same time every captain wants to win trophies.”Patidar joined RCB in IPL 2022 as a mid-season replacement for the injured Lonth Sisodia. He ended IPL 2022 with 333 runs in eight innings at an impressive strike rate of 152.50. Among his outstanding performances was a brilliant innings of 112 off 54 balls against Lucknow Supergiants in the Eliminator. Although RCB’s campaign ended in the very next game, he continued his prolific form with a fluent 58 in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals. A few weeks later, he fulfilled his dream by scoring a match-winning century for Madhya Pradesh against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final.IPL 2022 turned out to be a game changer for Patidars.In IPL 2025, he was handed the captaincy of RCB, a franchise that had never won a trophy. He came agonizingly close many times but never managed to lift the title.After winning one title and standing on the brink of another, Patidar is not looking back.“Last year we did it, but again it’s a new season. You can’t talk about 2025 and what we did. You have to be more in the present and do whatever you can to win the title,” he said.“I don’t think we’ve changed or are thinking differently. We’re in the same mindset. But like I said before, we’re not here to defend anything with the mindset of a defending champion. We have a chance to win another title.“We have to keep the mentality that we are here to win the title, not to defend anything that we did in 2025. It’s a new season and a new chance to do it again in 2026.”He also pointed to a cultural shift within the RCB set-up, which once relied heavily on one or two players.“Earlier, there were one or two players on whom the team depended. But now every player is taking responsibility when he goes out to bat or bowl,” Patidar said.“So I think the word ‘responsibility’ is the main thing that everyone is thinking about. Responsibility and being eager to contribute to the team.“And have the same mindset that we’re not here just to play the qualifiers. We’re here to play the final and win the final. So I think the mindset has changed.”
