Ravichandran Ashwin praised a lot Rajat Patidar's Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)'s batting skills against spinners ahead of the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31.
The former India off-spinner compared Patidar's bat swing to that of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has taken the cricket world by storm with his six-hitting talent since last year.
Ashwin said of Patidar on GeoHotstar, “He's a monstrous spin-hitter. He's one of those rare breed of batsmen who gets at the balls using his feet, whether it's towards the stumps, outside leg stump, or through cover, he steps into it. It's a very rare phenomenon.”
Ashwin said Patidar's skill against spinners stems from his compact frame and excellent bat swing.
“The reason he's able to do that is because he's short, but he's got a great bat swing that just dips and gets to the highest point where he can really start using those levers, just like Vaibhav Suryavanshi,” he said.
In Qualifier 1, Patidar sent the GT bowlers on the hunt in Dharamshala during his explosive innings of 93* off 33 balls. RCB won the match by 92 runs and entered the second consecutive final.
Spin bowlers cannot bowl to Rajat Patidar at that position: Ashwin warns Shubman Gill
Ashwin warned Gujarat captain Shubman Gill not to bowl to Rashid Khan or any other spinner when Patidar was at the crease, as the right-handed batsman would put them in danger. Instead, the cricketer-turned-specialist said that a better approach would be to play fast bowlers to Patidar.
“It makes Shubman Gill's job a little bit tougher. Rashid Khan had an injury in the last game, and that's on his mind. They can't get Rajat Patidar bowling spin bowlers in that position. He's going to take them to the cleaners. They need the fast bowlers to attack him, bowling back-of-a-length, good Test-match lengths, with the fielders square on the off-side and Tell him to go to the square,” he said.
Ashwin said that RCB is a strong contender to win the IPL trophy. However, he mentioned that Gujarat's knowledge of the conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium, which is their home ground, could be their only hope against the defending champions.
“For RCB, it doesn't matter whether they bat or bowl first, it's their loss. They are going in as favourites. Whatever they do, they should not step back or play less aggressive cricket than they have been doing all season,” Ashwin said.
“The fact that GT is playing on their home ground, and they have dominated there and made it a fortress, is something that will give them extra incentive going into the final. Both teams have very contrasting approaches. RCB is willing to take extra risks. They have a squad with some fighters like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya, who have turned up the heat this season. GT's home ground and their familiarity with those conditions puzzles RCB. And the second title,” he added.
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