Priority was to be on the top – Rajat Patidar on RCB’s primary objective against SRH

RCB went down fighting in their last league-stage fixture as SRH pipped them in a high-scoring encounter in Hyderabad. Chasing a target of 256, RCB needed to fire from ball one, and Venkatesh Iyer knew exactly what the Royal Challengers needed.

Despite Iyer’s early burst, RCB lost three quick wickets, forcing them to adjust their approach so they didn’t burn out before reaching the magic number. RCB’s captain, Rajat Patidar arrived at the crease and scored a well-orchestrated half-century.

Patidar’s fifty ensured RCB secured the pole position even if they failed to cross the finish line. He was also a crucial part of an 84-run stand with Krunal Pandya that steadied the RCB ship amidst the treacherous waves.

Talking at the post-match presentation, Patidar opened up on how the surface had its own trap with slow bouncers. He also explained RCB's priority, adding how the daunting target on the board left them with a lot to do.

Shedding light on the target and how well SRH batted, RaPa said, “Obviously, I think their top five batsmen played really well, and they purely dominated in the first innings.”

Explaining the surface’s tricks, Patidar added, “Not really, but I think the slow bouncer was gripping a bit, but I think the way... their strength is slow bouncers and yorkers, they executed pretty well.”

Highlighting RCB’s top priority, Patidar stated, “The top priority was to be on top, but I think there were a lot of runs in the first inning. I think 255 is a good score on this wicket. And I think their five bowlers executed the slow bouncers and yorkers pretty well.”

He concluded by mentioning how slow bouncers played a real spoilsport, stating, “Obviously, Hyderabad, I think it's a good wicket, but when you start bowling slow bouncers, slow into the wicket, I think it's really tough for the batsman to score the runs.”