IPL 2026: Bobat hails RCB's 'complete' show to reach final

RCB Director Mo Bobat lauded the team's 'complete' performance and Rajat Patidar's calm captaincy as they defeated GT by 92 runs to enter the IPL 2026 final. Patidar's 93* was the highlight of the clinical all-round show.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, expressed satisfaction over the team's "complete" performance and hailed Rajat Patidar's "calm" captaincy after the defending champions reached the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season after defeating the Gujarat Titans (GT) by 92 runs in Qualifier clash on Tuesday. RCB's 92-run win was a clinical all-round show, with Patidar's 33-ball 93*, cameos from Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya and fiery powerplay bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jacob Duffy earning RCB a shot at making it back-to-back IPL wins.

'A complete team performance'

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Mo Bobat said RCB's biggest strength has been the team's collective effort, with multiple players stepping up across departments rather than relying on just a few individuals. He noted that this balanced team performance, similar to last season, has been key to the team's success and progress deep into the tournament. "We are obviously pleased that we've got a number of people contributing to wins. So when people say things like a complete team, that's probably what I would reference. It was a pattern of the way we played last year. We had some guys who stood up with a bat and the ball. And you need that to go far in competitions. So we've had the same thing happening this year. We're not too dependent on one or two players with a bat or one or two with a ball. We've got many people contributing, and that's the really pleasing thing," Bobat said.

Mo Bobat said RCB's focus remains on playing the right brand of cricket and ensuring every player contributes when given the opportunity. He added that when the team executes its roles well and consistently puts pressure on opponents, positive results follow naturally. "If I look at today, regardless of the result, you know, everybody who had a chance to impact the game and put pressure on the opposition was able to do that. And that's all we focus on. We focus on how we play our cricket. And if we do that often enough, and if everybody contributes and fulfils their roles, then results should take care of themselves," the RCB Director of Cricket added.

'Patidar leading by example'

Rajat Patidar won the Player of the Match award for his brilliant unbeaten 33-ball 93 laced with nine sixes and five boundaries. Coming in to bat when RCB were 93-1 in 8.2 overs, Patidar stitched a 95-run partnership with Krunal Pandya (43) and a 40-run partnership with Jitesh Sharma (15) to guide the team to a massive total of 254/5 in 20 overs. Bobat praised Patidar for his outstanding form throughout the tournament, describing his unbeaten knock in the high-pressure game as a special innings that would significantly boost the team's overall confidence. "He's certainly batting brilliantly right now, and he has done so throughout the whole competition. That was a really special knock today, and it was great to see, and I'm sure he'll be really pleased about being able to stand up in a big qualifier, in a big game, and that would be great for the collective confidence of the team," he said.

Patidar, who led RCB to their maiden IPL title last year, has led the team from the front in this season as well. With the bat, he has so far scored 486 runs with an average of 44.18 and a strike rate of 196.76. Bobat said Patidar's strong form and aggressive batting have boosted the team's confidence, and that his calm nature and composed leadership continue to stand out. Bobat added that Patidar is growing as a captain with every game, becoming more confident and resilient under pressure. "I think any team that's got the captain playing well, it fills them with even greater confidence. So that was a pretty special knock. Some outrageous shots but really aggressive intent, and I think that's leading by example in terms of his captaincy. He's a very calm individual. It's one of the things that stood out last year as well, and with every game he captains, he gets more and more experience, and that will only add to his own confidence, his own resilience under pressure," Bobat said.

Match Recap

Put to bat first by GT, RCB put on 254/5 on the back of fiery performances from Patidar, Kohli, and Pandya's knocks. In the chase, GT's batting fell like a pack of cards, with Rahul Tewatia (68 in 43 balls, with eight fours and four sixes) and Jos Buttler (29 in 11 balls, with three fours and two sixes) being the only ones crossing the 20-run mark as GT skittled out for 162 runs. Jacob Duffy (3/39) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/28) broke through GT's consistent top-order, and things only went downwards for the Titans from there.

This is the fifth time RCB has made it to the IPL finals, third-most after Mumbai Indians (six appearances and five title wins) and Chennai Super Kings (10 appearances and five title wins). (ANI)

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