Rajat Patidar’s Clutch Playoff Record as Batter Leaves Fans Stunned

Rajat Patidar led RCB to a stunning 92-run victory against the Gujarat Titans.

Rajat Patidar’s Clutch Playoff Record as Batter Leaves Fans Stunned

Rajat Patidar scored an unbeaten 93 runs against GT, to help RCB to a first-innings total of 254/5. (via NDTV Sports)

In Short
  • Rajat Patidar scored an unbeaten 93 runs off 33 balls, leading RCB to a record first-innings total of 254 in IPL Qualifier 1.
  • RCB advanced to their second consecutive IPL final after defeating Gujarat Titans by 92 runs.
  • Patidar's playoff statistics include 338 runs in six matches, averaging 112.66 with a strike rate of 193.34.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar delivered a stunning performance against the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of the ongoing 2026 IPL season. He boasts an astonishing run-scoring record in the playoffs, a feat that others have not managed to achieve.

The first team to make it to the 2026 IPL playoffs, RCB, will now head to Ahmedabad for the final, beaming with confidence. Despite suffering a 55-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final group-stage game, the defending champions staged a stunning comeback in the first qualifier against GT at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. RCB smashed a record-breaking first innings total of 254/5 in their 20 overs.

Bengaluru’s innings was spearheaded by captain Patidar’s unbeaten 93-run knock, which came off just 33 deliveries, and comprised 5 fours and 9 sixes. At a blistering strike-rate of 281.82, Patidar not only anchored RCB’s innings after the quick dismissals of Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, but he also guided them past the 250-run mark. He first stitched a 95-run stand with Krunal Pandya, before finishing the innings with another 40-run partnership with Jitesh Sharma, which came off just 12 balls. 

While he fell seven runs short of a much-deserved hundred, Patidar did smash his way past several IPL playoff records. The 32-year-old first made his mark during the 2022 IPL Eliminator against LSG, where he scored an unbeaten 112 off 54 balls. Looking at his career playoff statistics, Patidar has scored 338 runs across six matches, at an incredible average of 112.66 and a strike-rate of 193.34, which includes one hundred and two fifties.

His playoff scores read out as follows: 112, 58, 34, 15, 26, and 93. Rajat Patidar’s innings against the Titans also stands as the joint-highest by any captain in the IPL playoffs, level with former SRH captain David Warner’s 93 in 2016. With 24 maximums, he is close to the all-time record for most sixes in the IPL knockout stages, trailing only Suresh Raina (40 sixes), MS Dhoni (28), and Kieron Pollard (25). 

GT failed to chase down the 255-run target, getting bowled out for 162 in 19.3 overs. In bowling, RCB’s Jacob Duffy picked up a three-wicket haul, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Dar, Krunal Pandya, and Josh Hazlewood also scalped wickets. 

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Rajat Patidar’s mind-blowing IPL record stuns fans as RCB reaches second consecutive final

RCB advanced to their second straight IPL final by defeating GT in Qualifier 1. The POTM award went to Rajat Patidar for his impressive 93-run knock, which contributed to his team’s record first-innings total of 254 runs, the highest score ever in a playoff game.

Rajat Patidar fans clutch
Rajat Patidar was praised by fans, following his POTM display in 2026 IPL Qualifier 1. (via X)

It helped the defending champions secure a 92-run blowout victory. Patidar’s exploits rewrote his career playoffs record, with his massive 330+ run tally in the knockout stages of the IPL stunning fans. Fans were quick to label the 32-year-old as ‘Clutchman’, while others even proclaimed him the ‘greatest’ captain in the franchise’s history, placing him ahead of figures like Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis.

One fan humorously suggested that the RCB skipper played like an ‘alien’, particularly referencing the maximum that he hit over covers off Kagiso Rabada in the 17th over of the innings. Some fans predicted the right-hander would surpass the playoffs record held by the legendary Suresh Raina, who amassed 714 runs in 24 innings. Additionally, fans urged the Indian selectors to consider Patidar for future T20Is.

Patidar’s mind-bowling strike-rate of 281.82 against the Gujarat Titans is now the highest-ever recorded by any batter in an innings of 90 or more runs. Incredibly, throughout his time at the crease, he faced 33 balls but played only one dot ball.

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