Former Indian captain Anil Kumble was extremely impressed by this. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) The performance in their dominant win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 1 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday, May 26.
The former RCB spinner was impressed by the defending champions' mentality of going in the middle and treating the playoff match like any other game. He did not let the opportunity overwhelm him, which was evident from his mammoth first innings score of 254. Captain Rajat Patidar was the star with the bat, scoring 93 not out at a strike-rate of 281.81.
“After losing the toss, RCB gave their best performance by posting a mammoth total of 254 runs on the board. It is tough to score so many runs in any game, but to do so in the playoffs shows real character. The pitch was good for batting, but the RCB batsmen still had to go out and perform. Rajat Patidar stepped up to the plate and Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal made good contributions.” Anil Kumble Said on JioStar.
Kumble also acknowledged the excellent bowling effort by RCB, which restricted the Titans to just 162 runs in the second innings and won the game by 92 runs. The former India head coach claims that Royal Challengers played brilliantly against GT and established themselves as favorites to retain their IPL crown.
“When RCB came to bowl, they didn't let the GT openers settle down. They bowled hard, kept up the pressure and got the early breakthrough with the unfortunate dismissal of Sai Sudarshan. That wicket opened the door. From there, the RCB bowlers took complete control. It was a clinical performance from start to finish. Bowling, batting, fielding – everything clicked for RCB on the night. They didn't just get the win; they made a statement. You need this kind of performance in a knockout game,” Anil Kumble said.
Anil Kumble lauds Rajat Patidar's contribution to Dharamshala
PatidarHis excellent innings against GT was arguably one of the finest batting performances in the history of IPL playoffs. Kumble believes that such performances during important matches increase the level of respect a player receives in the dressing room.
Anil said, “When a player performs in a big game, he earns the respect of his teammates. Rajat Patidar has done exactly that. This first Qualifier was a big game for RCB. Winning the first Qualifier and going straight to the final gives you a huge advantage. Three or four days off gives players a chance to recover mentally and physically. Winning the first Qualifier is a luxury. Rajat has done a great job as captain. But What is different about RCB is that different players perform well in different games.” Kumble said on JioStar
RCB will now get a four-day break before taking the field in Ahmedabad for the showpiece final. The defending champions will face the winner of Qualifier 2, which will be played on Friday, May 29.
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