Rajat Patidar, the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), is presently recuperating from a finger injury he received on May 3 during RCB’s IPL match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Patidar would have had to play at least a few games if the tournament hadn’t been halted for a week because of tensions across the border between India and Pakistan.
Rajat Patidar was able to recover in time for the RCB’s upcoming games thanks to the brief suspension. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled the new IPL schedule on Monday, May 12. The competition is scheduled to resume on May 17 when RCB hosts the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The physicians recommended that Patidar wear a splint to protect his injured finger and refrain from practicing for ten days until an evaluation of the ailment could be conducted. Patidar suffered the injury while fielding during the match against CSK.
It is possible that Patidar will not be included in the starting lineup for the match against KKR, even though the competition has been suspended for a week. Rajat Patidar is likely to make the squad for the upcoming England A tour and the IPL playoffs, thus RCB won’t rush him in and will wait for him to fully heal.
RCB can consider the following three replacement possibilities if Patidar is unable to play the remainder of the tournament:
1. Harvik Desai
If Rajat Patidar is unable to recover in time to lead the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the Saurashtra wicket-keeper batsman may be a viable replacement for the team. He gained notoriety as a member of India’s winning effort at the 2018 U-19 World Cup.
He is currently 25 years old and has made a name for himself in the local circuit by participating in more than 50 first-class games and 35 Twenty20 matches thus far. He secured a spot in the Mumbai Indians squad in 2024 thanks to his 336-run Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season.
He became even more of a vital part of the Saurashtra setup after scoring 323 runs in the next season. If given the chance to play for RCB, he might have an impact because of his strike rate of about 140 in the shortest format.
2. Yash Dhull
Yash Dhull was a dominant batter against spin who helped India win the 2022 U19 World Cup, although he has since lost some of his notoriety. Dhull could yet succeed in the international circuit because he is still young, despite being hailed as one of the next big things in Indian cricket.
He has already participated in 30 first-class games and amassed 2054 runs at a 45.64 average. Although Dhull is not as showy as others of the current crop of young batters, he can play to the circumstances of the game and has all of his tricks.
Dhull makes excellent use of the crease depth against spinners and might be a solid alternative for RCB if given an opportunity in the event that Patidar is ruled out. Dhull needs to concentrate on his power hitting to get better in the T20 format, but he has all the frontfoot and backfoot shots.
3. Sarfaraz Khan
One of the best batters of spin in Indian cricket currently, Sarfaraz Khan has managed to put a stamp of quality batter in the longest format of the game, but his technique has not been up to the mark, particularly, against the new ball. He is also expected to be part of the England tour but it needs to be seen whether he will get an opportunity in the XI.
Sarfaraz got his IPL debut for his current team, RCB in 2015 and he broke into the scene with his unconventional shots at the death of innings. He has played a total of 50 IPL games so far but because of the lack of consistency, he has failed to establish himself in the IPL.
He didn’t find a buyer in the following two seasons after playing for the Delhi Capitals in the 2023 Indian Premier League. Sarfaraz is still a very excellent option in the middle overs despite his inconsistent play. He can maneuver the field when the team is under duress and possesses a variety of shots.
