Rajat Patidar reflects on captaincy debut, calls Virat Kohli ‘one of the greatest’ after RCB’s 7 wicket win in Kolkata

Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinched a dominating win aagainst defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 wickets at the Eden Gardens stadium on Saturday. After the match, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar opened up about the pressures captaining the fan favourite franchise and captaining Virat Kohli.

Great opportunity to learn from Virat Kohli, says Patidar:
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Patidar talked about the opportunity to captain Kohli, stating, "It's really great when you have a player like him, it's a great opportunity for me to learn from one of the great players of the game."

Talking specifically about his captaincy debut, the 31-year-old added, "There was pressure, but it was a good day for me. If we keep winning like this, it will be a good day. It was pretty clear for me - I don't mind Suyash giving runs, he was our main wicket-taking bowler, so I backed him.

The RCB captain was also all praise for his spin bowlers - Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma - , highlighting their courage and determination, stating, “(on Krunal and Suyash) All credit goes to both the bowlers, from 13 overs, they showed courage and determination. The mindset of taking wickets was really amazing.”

What happened during RCB vs KKR match?

During the match on Saturday, KKR got off to a flying start with Sunil Narine and captain Ajinkya Rahane showing their class. The duo helped the home side post 107 runs for the loss of 10 overs. However, at the end of the 10th over, Rasikh Dhar struck a powerful blow when he dismissed Narine for 44, soon followed by two quick wickets of Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer by Krunal Pandya.

The RCB bowling attack worked in unison to eventually restrict KKR to 174 all out.

In reply, RCB openers Virat Kohli and Phil Salt ensured that there was no way KKR could come back into the match as they scored individual half-centuries. Meanwhile, skipper Patidar also played a 34-run cameo in the middle to ensure RCB reached their total in time.