Rajat Patidar Returns to Batting After Injury Recovery for RCB
Rajat Patidar's Comeback to Batting
New Delhi [India] May 16: Rajat Patidar, the captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has resumed his batting practice after recovering from a finger injury on his right hand, which required ten days for healing, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
The injury occurred during a fielding play against the Chennai Super Kings on May 3. Following the incident, he was advised to wear a splint to protect the finger and to refrain from training for at least ten days before reassessing the injury.
Currently, RCB holds the second position on the IPL points table, boasting eight victories out of 11 matches. To secure a top-two finish, they need to achieve at least two more wins.
Just two days ahead of their match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Patidar returned to practice on Thursday evening, starting with light throwdowns before attempting his complete batting range.
In the ongoing season, Patidar has accumulated 239 runs across 10 innings, maintaining an impressive strike rate of 140.58.
With Devdutt Padikkal sidelined at No. 3 due to a hamstring injury, Patidar's return will help fill the gap. Padikkal is out for the remainder of the IPL, prompting the franchise to bring in Mayank Agarwal, who typically plays as an opener, to take his spot.
Agarwal has scored 247 runs in ten innings, averaging 27.44 with a strike rate of 150.60, showing a notable improvement from his previous season's average of 5.42 and a strike rate of 71.69.
Moreover, RCB will also miss opening batter Jacob Bethell during the playoffs due to England's home series against the West Indies starting May 29.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru squad for IPL 2025 includes: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethel, Mayank Agrawal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.