In their successful defence of the IPL title, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had several standout performances from their players, but asked to pick one, their captain Rajat Patidar has picked young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old, who walked away with plenty of accolades during the prize distribution ceremony, ended with the Orange Cap as well.
Though the likes of Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam and Krunal Pandya had stellar seasons for RCB, when asked to name on standout performer on Monday, chose to name Sooryavanshi. “It’s pretty clear, you know, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Because he is so young and the way he has dominated in this tournament, he has not just played, he has dominated every bowler – top bowlers of the world. So, the way he played his shots, you know, he is amazing. Whenever I see him on the TV, the way he was clearing the rope, it was superb. So, I wish him luck for the future,” Patidar said.
The RCB captain also had special praise for Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer. The India middle-order batsman had recently played a glowing tribute to Patidar and when asked about that, the RCB captain said, “I have spent a lot of time with Shreyas. When I was 20-22, I started playing in my first season in Ranji. We played against Mumbai. I remember at that time he scored a lot of runs, 1200 runs in Ranji season. So, even I admire him a lot because you know the way he was dominating in Ranji season, in red ball cricket, the shots which he was playing. So, at that point it was my first season. So, after looking at him, I’ve changed my mindset from second and third year. After looking at him, the way he was playing in that season, it was unbelievable. So, I mean to say that even I admire him a lot. Thanks to Shreyas, the words he spoke for me.”
Right through the season when Patidar scored 498 runs at an incredible strike-rate of 192.69, his attacking instincts has stood out and has pushed him closer to Indian team doors. With a devastating game against spinners, Patidar owned the middle-over phase this season, with the pacers also bearing the brunt of his aggression. Asked about his intention and approach this season, Patidar said he never planned to attack from the word go.
“It’s not like this I have to go in and target just starting from one or ball two. No one in the team was doing that. But it’s important to, you know, backers in strength. And we have done hard work before the tournament. And, you know, with DK, I got more clarity about my role. I was pretty clear that in the middle overs, if I’m batting, I can maximise. I can take risks, which I like most. I like taking risks. So, if I’m playing in middle overs, I always like to, you know, maximise on every bowler. If I feel that I should go on a second ball, I always back myself and, you know, go with full clarity,” Patidar said.
