RCB captain Patidar sets IPL playoff batting record with 93 off 33 balls
Patidar’s unbeaten 93, including nine sixes, powered RCB to 254/5 in Qualifier 1, securing a historic innings at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar delivered a record-breaking performance on Tuesday, scoring an unbeaten 93 off 33 balls to lead his team to a total of 254/5 against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League 2026. The innings, played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, established the highest score ever recorded in IPL knockout history.
Patidar’s knock featured a strike rate of 281.82, comprising nine sixes and five boundaries, with only one dot ball recorded during the innings. The captain capitalised on being dropped twice in the 14th over by bowler Prasidh Krishna and fielder Kulwant Khejroliya, who also conceded 28 runs in the delivery through misfields, two no-balls, and a wide. Patidar dismantled the opposition’s bowling attack immediately after these reprieves, showcasing a dominance that included a fifty brought up with a towering six off Kagiso Rabada.
Supporting contributions were vital to the total, with Virat Kohli scoring 43 off 25 balls and Devdutt Padikkal adding 30. Venkatesh Iyer provided an aggressive start with 19 runs before falling to Rabada. Krunal Pandya contributed 43 runs, forming a crucial 95-run partnership with Patidar that shifted the momentum of the contest. RCB smashed 86 runs in the final five overs and 114 in the last six overs, despite wickets from Rabada, Rashid Khan, and Jason Holder.
Patidar’s performance adds to a formidable playoff legacy, bringing his career tally in knockout matches to 338 runs at an average of 112.66 and a strike rate of 193.14 across six innings. His previous notable knock includes an unbeaten 112 off 54 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in the 2022 Eliminator. In terms of six-hitting in IPL playoffs, only Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, and Kieron Pollard have surpassed his total of 24 sixes.
The match highlighted RCB’s ability to sustain pressure, with Patidar becoming the captain with the highest strike rate in an IPL innings of 50 or more balls. The team’s aggressive approach in the death overs ensured they took the game away from Gujarat Titans, setting a new benchmark for batting totals in the tournament’s most critical matches.
