RCB captain Rajat Patidar is recovering from a finger injury, which would have sidelined him for at least two matches if the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 hadn’t been temporarily suspended due to rising cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.
The tournament’s suspension has given Patidar at least a week to recover without missing any games, according to an ESPNCricinfo report.
Rajat Patidar sustained the injury while fielding during RCB’s home match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 3. He was advised to wear a splint for finger protection and avoid training for at least 10 days until the injury could be properly assessed.
With Rajat Patidar availability for the IPL playoffs and his potential selection for the upcoming India A tour to England in mind, RCB is being cautious with his recovery. The squad for the England tour is expected to be announced in the coming days.
Rajat Patidar and the rest of the RCB squad returned to Bengaluru from Lucknow on Saturday. Following the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan on Saturday night, Patidar remains optimistic about playing the remainder of the IPL season if it resumes next week.
Jitesh Sharma Set to Captain RCB If Rajat Patidar Fails to Recover
“I was very grateful for the opportunity given to me. They were offering me the chance to captain RCB, and it’s a huge thing for both me and my family. I was thinking about the right combination since both Devdutt [Padikkal] and Rajat were unavailable, and it was a big responsibility to replace them.
Given our position on the points table, I felt that we could have won this game. All of this was running through my mind, including the meetings with coaches and players over those two to three days, discussions about the batting order, and conversations with the bowlers. It was a lot of fun,” Jitesh had said on RCB Bold Diaries.
Rajat Patidar injury was just one of several setbacks RCB faced before the IPL was paused. Opener Phil Salt was sidelined due to illness and was replaced in the playing XI by Jacob Bethell. Devdutt Padikkal was ruled out for the season with a hamstring injury, replaced by Mayank Agarwal. Josh Hazlewood also suffered a shoulder injury.
As of Sunday, all of RCB’s overseas players and coaching staff had left India but were instructed to remain on standby in case the tournament resumes.
At the time the IPL was suspended, RCB was second on the points table, having secured eight wins and three losses in 11 matches. RCB’s remaining three matches include one away game against LSG in Lucknow and two home games against SRH and KKR.