'Didn't deserve to win': Rajat Patidar reflects on RCB-MI match
What's the story
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar has admitted that his team did not deserve to win their recent IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians (MI). The game, which ended in a nail-biting two-wicket victory for RCB in Raipur, saw Krunal Pandya's brilliant 73 off 46 balls play a crucial role. Despite the win, Patidar was critical of his team's performance during the chase of 167 runs.
Honest assessment
Patidar critical of RCB's batting effort
Patidar said, "Our bowlers did a tremendous job to restrict them. That was easily chaseable, but to be honest, we didn't deserve to win this match." He further emphasized that their batting line-up is good enough to have chased the target comfortably. The RCB captain praised Pandya's performance which came after early dismissals of Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal and himself during the powerplay.
Team strategy
On Pandya's number 5 batting position
Patidar revealed that the decision to send Pandya at number five was a collective one made in team meetings. He said, "It was our decision, we had discussed in team meetings. We wanted to give him opportunity at number five and he done it pretty well." The RCB captain also lauded veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar for his powerful spell during the powerplay which helped set up the win.
Focus on performance
RCB's next match against KKR
Despite the win, Patidar downplayed the importance of IPL standings at this stage of the tournament. He said, "Right now, we are not bothered about the table; we want to play good cricket, rather than looking at the table." RCB's next match is against Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur on Wednesday.