Royal Challengers Bengaluru chairman Aryaman Birla shared a touching message for captain Rajat Patidar after his stunning Qualifier 1 performance against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. Birla reposted Patidar’s innings on Instagram and simply wrote “Rajat bhai,” a warm tribute to the man who carried RCB into a second straight IPL final with one of the most destructive knocks of the season.
Patidar was in irresistible form in Dharamsala, smashing an unbeaten 93 off just 33 balls at a strike rate of more than 281. His blistering innings powered RCB to 254 for 5, the highest total ever recorded in IPL playoff history. Gujarat Titans, despite entering the match as one of the form teams in the tournament, were blown away and folded for 162 as RCB registered a commanding 92-run victory.
Long before their paths crossed again in the IPL, Aryaman Birla and Rajat Patidar had already shared a cricketing journey in Madhya Pradesh. Birla, son of industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, played professional cricket between 2017 and 2019 and spent time in the same dressing room as Patidar, even opening the batting with him on several occasions.
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At that stage, Patidar was steadily building his reputation in domestic cricket. His breakout came in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season, when he topped the Madhya Pradesh run charts with 713 runs in eight matches. From there, he kept climbing the ladder and eventually became one of the most reliable batters in Indian domestic cricket and the IPL.
RCB owner and Rajat Patidar’s former teammate from Madhya Pradesh Aryaman Birla
congratulated him, saying “Rajat bhai” 🥰🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/WX27nTOosu
— Santoshvk18 (@269signofff) May 26, 2026
Birla later stepped away from professional cricket to focus on his responsibilities within the Aditya Birla Group, but cricket clearly remained close to his heart. His return to the RCB setup came after the Aditya Birla Group-led consortium took ownership of the franchise, with Birla serving as chairman and Patidar appointed captain ahead of IPL 2026.
Patidar repaid that faith in spectacular fashion on Tuesday night. Coming to the crease with RCB at 99 for 3 in the 11th over, he first steadied the innings before accelerating brutally. He reached his half-century in just 21 balls and then launched a fierce late assault, targeting the shorter boundaries at Dharamsala with authority.
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The RCB captain struck five fours and nine sixes in his unbeaten 93, while his side collected 114 runs in the final six overs. That total proved far too much for Gujarat Titans, who crumbled under pressure and were bowled out for 162, sending RCB into the IPL 2026 final with real momentum behind their title defence.
