Rajat Patidar’s career hits roadblock as RCB captain ruled out of cricket
Table of Contents
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain, Rajat Patidar, was picked for the India A side but faced a major setback in the form of an injury during the first four-day match against South Africa A. He has been ruled out for nearly four months.
Rajat Patidar came to the limelight after a successful season in the IPL, when he led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first-ever title win in the history of the tournament. Patidar was among the three players RCB had retained ahead of the previous season.
Rajat Patidar currently leads Madhya Pradesh in the Indian domestic season and also captained Central Zone during the 2025 Duleep Trophy season. He was picked to play for India last year in the England tour but was eventually dropped from the side.
Rajat Patidar sustained an injury against South Africa A
Rajat Patidar faced a massive injury during the first unofficial Test against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. His injury is reportedly serious enough to keep him out of action for a long period, which is expected to be around four months, as per Dainik Jagran journalist Abhishek Tripathi.
Ahead of being picked for the India A series against South Africa A, he was in the form of his life before a setback. He scored runs consistently, especially in red-ball cricket and wishes to make his way back into the Indian team with the Indian team in the quest for a batter at no. 3 for the long run.
Additionally, Rajat Patidar's injury is a massive blow for Madhya Pradesh as well, since the injury came just ahead of the Ranji Trophy season and other domestic tournaments as well.
चोट के कारण रजत पाटीदार चार माह तक क्रिकेट से दूर रहेंगे। दक्षिण अफ्रीका ए के विरुद्ध पहले चार दिवसीय मैच में चोटिल हुए थे।
— Abhishek Tripathi / अभिषेक त्रिपाठी (@abhishereporter) November 8, 2025
Rajat Patidar ended the domestic season on a strong note
After the conclusion of IPL 2025, where he successfully led them to a maiden trophy for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he played in the Duleep Trophy, which started the domestic season in the Indian domestic circle.
He captained Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy, and on the back of his stellar hundred, he finished the tournament as the highest run-getter. He top-scored with 382 runs at an average of nearly 76.50 in his 5 outings. He amassed two centuries and the same number of half-centuries.
Later, playing in the Irani Cup, he put on a fighting 66 and then went on to score his maiden First-Class double century at the beginning of the domestic Ranji Trophy season. In the South Africa series, he could only manage 19 and 28 runs in the two innings.
Will this injury affect his IPL campaign?
Rajast Patidar is likely to lead the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in the upcoming season of IPL 2026 as well. He is also one of their frontline batters in the middle order and contributes significantly with the bat.
In the last season, he could not do that well with the bat, as he amassed just 312 runs at an average of 24 and a healthy strike rate of 143.77. He also scored 2 half-centuries in those 12 innings.
As of now, the injury recovery period is about 4 months, and hence, he should be back well before the upcoming season; however, in case he doesn't recover on time, Jitesh Sharma might likely fill in as a leader, just like he did in the 2025 season.
Tagged:
Rajat Patidar Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL India A vs South Africa A India National Cricket Team
