Rajat Patidar channels his inner Gautam Gambhir by welcoming MS Dhoni with attacking field

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar seemed to emulate former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir, by setting a unique attacking field against veteran MS Dhoni.

Rajat Patidar channels his inner Gautam Gambhir by welcoming MS Dhoni with attacking field

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar set an attacking field against MS Dhoni, emulating Gautam Gambhir's move. (via X)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar set an unique attacking field against Chennai Super Kings talisman MS Dhoni, during his side’s shock win over the five-time IPL winners. Patidar seemed to emulate Gautam Gambhir with his brilliant fielding tactics. 

The rivalry between CSK and RCB seemed to have taken another step ahead. RCB claimed a historic win over CSK at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, by 50 runs. Rajat Patidar’s side handed the hosts their heaviest ever defeat in Chennai. It also marked the visitors’ win over the Men in Yellow at Chepauk for the first time in 17 years. Their last victory at Chepauk came in the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008. 

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The match between the two sides was one that CSK would love to forget. The five-time IPL winners lost the match owing to several errors. These included catch drops and the horrible collapse of their top and middle-order. Additionally, CSK talisman MS Dhoni’s demotion to the number nine position in the batting order did raise a lot of questions. The 43-year-old came out to bat, following the wicket of Ravichandran Ashwin.

Despite the team having almost lost the match following the seventh wicket in the 16th over of the match, MS Dhoni received a rousing reception from the Chepauk crowd. All was lost until then with CSK requiring 98 runs off the last 28 balls. However, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar did not take Dhoni’s arrival on to the pitch lightly, owing to the 43-year-old’s extensive power-hitting abilities.

He recreated an iconic IPL moment, setting a unique field similar to the one set by former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir had placed four fielders around Dhoni in a match between KKR and defunct franchise, Rising Pune Supergiant. Combined with aggressive bowling changes, Rajat Patidar set a short leg and a slip for MS Dhoni in the 16th over of the match, bowled by Liam Livingstone.

Dhoni played a calm defensive shot off the first ball he faced, as Livingstone ended his much successful bowling spell with two wickets, giving away just 28 runs. CSK went on to suffer a humiliating defeat to their opponents while chasing a target of 197 runs. The home side ended with only 146 runs on the board, for the loss of eight wickets. 

Nonetheless, MS Dhoni did score a noteworthy cameo of 30 runs off just 16 balls at the tail end. He struck three boundaries and two sixes in his innings. Meanwhile, Rajat Patidar earned the Player of the Match award for his batting heroics, scoring 52 off 32 balls. 

IPL legend AB De Villiers lauds Rajat Patidar’s RCB, calls them ‘ten times better’

Ex-South African batter and RCB legend AB de Villiers lauded the 2025 IPL squad, led by new skipper Rajat Patidar. Moreover, he stated that the balance of the current squad is almost ten times better compared to the RCB squads of the previous seasons. 

Ab de Villiers on RCB
IPL legend AB de Villiers claimed that the current RCB side is ‘ten times’ better. (via Crictoday)

RCB have enjoyed a great start to the new IPL season, winning their opening two encounters. One win came against defending champions KKR, while the other was against arch-rivals CSK. As they remain on top of the table, de Villiers confidently claimed that the Patidar-led side is a much better one. He added that inclusion of veterans like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, provides the balance and depth in the squad. 

The balance of the current squad is 10 times better than in previous seasons. I had spoken about the need to strike the right balance.

AB de Villiers on Rajat Patidar-led RCB (H/T Crictoday)

Moreover, he pointed to the importance of the team traveling together during the IPL. Nonetheless, AB de Villiers, also known as Mr. 360, himself had a formidable IPL career. He scored 5162 runs in 184 matches across 14 seasons. However, he could not guide RCB to an IPL title.