Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has backed Rajat Patidar’s selection in India’s T20I team after RCB claimed a 92-run win against Gujarat Titans in the first qualifier at Dharamshala on Tuesday. Patidar scored a brilliant knock of 93 runs off just 33 balls with the help of five fours and nine sixes. The RCB captain scored his runs at a blistering strike rate of 281.82 and played a key role in helping his team post an above-par score of 254 runs on the board.
The right-hander got off to a sedate start, scoring 22 runs off the first 14 balls but on the next 19 deliveries, he smashed 71 runs. Patidar also had the rub of the green as he was dropped by Kagiso Rabada when he was on 20.
Patidar has amassed 486 runs in 13 innings of IPL 2026 at an average of 44.18 and a strike rate of 196.76.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “If someone scores 93 runs off 33 balls and has an average of 112 in the playoffs, he deserves special mention. I am saying play him in the Indian team. This is a massive franchise. They have had so many celebrated captains, this has been such a celebrated team, and they have had such a terrific fan following, but they hadn’t won a trophy.”
Chopra said Patidar changed the game with his knock and played one of the best innings in IPL playoffs.
“He changed the game. He got two lives, but when he started hitting after that, he kept thrashing them. They had gathered 100 runs in 30 balls at one stage. That’s the kind of mindset that changes games, the fortune, and the season. One of the best innings from a qualifier perspective,” he observed.
The renowned commentator hailed RCB for adopting an attacking approach from the get-go.
“They said they are not the defending but the attacking champions, and they did that only. Venkatesh Iyer hit three fours in the first over itself, and suddenly, the opposing team went on the back foot slightly. Venky got out after that, but they didn’t stop at all,” he said.
The former Delhi cricketer praised the in-form duo of Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli for playing aggressively despite losing Venkatesh Iyer early.
“Devdutt Padikkal came and hit fours one after the other, and Virat Kohli was hitting fours from the other end. They are consistently upping the ante. They are trying to maximize every ball. When you play so fearlessly, you continue to put pressure on the opposition, and Gujarat didn’t have any idea what needed to be done,” Chopra observed.
RCB will be next seen in action in the IPL final on Sunday.
