Veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has praised Rajat Patidar’s tactical conviction as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain. Bhuvneshwar revealed that the skipper trusted his own instincts despite advice from senior players during the IPL 2026 final, when he backed Jacob Duffy to bowl four consecutive overs.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026 final to retain the title they won in 2025. The back-to-back triumph made Patidar only the third captain after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to lead a team to consecutive IPL titles. Bhuvneshwar was part of both of RCB’s title-winning campaigns.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Praises Rajat Patidar’s Bold Call With Jacob Duffy
Speaking on Jatin Sapru’s YouTube channel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar said that Rajat Patidar remained calm throughout RCB’s successful IPL 2026 campaign. Bhuvneshwar said Patidar always listened to the coaching staff and senior players but did not hesitate to back his own decisions on the field.
“From the time Rajat was declared captain till we won the second trophy, he was literally the same. He did not change even a bit. He would always listen if you went to him with any advice. From the first match till the end, he was the same,” Bhuvneshwar said.
“His strength was that he never went against the planning of the coaches or senior players despite being the captain. I remember Jacob Duffy's first match. He bowled four overs at once. A few players told him to save an over of his for later. But he was confident. That's the kind of decisions he made,” he added.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Recalls First Meeting With Mo Bobat and Andy Flower
Bhuvneshwar Kumar joined RCB after the franchise bought him for ₹10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. He played a key role in their back-to-back title wins, taking 45 wickets in 30 matches at an average of 21.87 and an economy rate of 8.56.
The experienced pacer also recalled his first meeting with RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat and head coach Andy Flower. The meeting took place in Bengaluru while Bhuvneshwar was playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“My first conversation was with Mo and Andy, after the auction. I met them in Bangalore during SMAT and they had their camp there as well. It was a very casual meeting. They wanted to know how my preparation was and what my thought process was,” Bhuvneshwar recalled.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Opens Up on RCB Fans and Chinnaswamy Experience
Bhuvneshwar Kumar also spoke about the difference between playing at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium as an opposition player and representing RCB. He had experienced the atmosphere as a Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) player before joining the Bengaluru franchise.
The pacer said that RCB’s pre-season unboxing event helped him understand just how strongly the fans wanted an IPL title. He was delighted that the team delivered the trophy after years of waiting.
“When we used to play at Chinnaswamy when I was with SRH, everyone knew the support there for the local team was amazing. They were very loud. I had seen it as an away team, and they were incredible."
"Before the tournament, there was an unboxing event, and it was then that I realised that they were different. They wanted the trophy, and we are lucky that, coming in as new players, we could do that with the team,” he said.
Bhuvneshwar has also enjoyed a strong record at the venue. He has taken 26 wickets in 19 IPL appearances at an average of 23.35 and an economy rate of 8.45 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Also read: "It took us a few series to understand" - Bhuvneshwar Kumar recalls Virat Kohli's Test captaincy
