Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India]: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar delved into the roots of his spin-playing prowess in a recent episode of the RCB Podcast, crediting his early club cricket days and domestic experience for shaping his ability against spin bowling.
Patidar revealed that much of his foundation was laid on “unprepared wickets” in club cricket, where spin often dominated due to the nature of the pitches.
“When I started at the club level, most games were on unprepared wickets. You didn’t get well-prepared surfaces, so I gradually got used to playing spin,” he explained.
Reflecting on his days with the Madhya Pradesh domestic side, Patidar said the team often prepared spin-friendly tracks to capitalize on their trio of quality spinners. This forced him to refine his technique against spin bowling, particularly by focusing on the sweep shot.
“There was only one thought in my mind: if I had to score runs on those pitches, I needed to develop that shot,” Patidar said, adding that he used to practice the sweep for three hours daily.
Patidar also cited legendary Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid as a major influence.
“I saw a lot of his batting in Test matches, especially on spin tracks. The way he used his footwork, whether it was the front foot or the back foot, and how he used the crease — I got to learn a lot from him,” he shared.
Though Patidar has shown flashes of brilliance this IPL season, he has been looking to bounce back from a lean patch in the last few games. In 11 matches, he has scored 239 runs at an average of 23.90, with a strike rate of 140.58, including two half-centuries and a top score of 64.
Despite this, RCB sits in a strong position, currently ranked second on the points table with 16 points (8 wins, 3 losses). Their next clash is set for Saturday in Bengaluru, where they will take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as the tournament resumes.