Rajat Patidar sat in the press conference room of the Narendra Modi Stadium as a satisfied man, having become only the third captain after Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni to lift back-to-back titles after Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad by five wickets on Sunday.
Yet, on a day when the celebrations could have easily taken over, the 33-year-old’s thoughts remained measured, even as he marked a personal milestone alongside the team’s success.
“It feels really good. It is the best gift because it is my birthday today, so it cannot be better than this,” he said after winning the final.
But even in that moment, the RCB captain quickly pulled the conversation back to what lies ahead, reflecting the same present-focused mindset that has defined his leadership through the season.
“But I try to stay in the present. We now have to focus on how we can do three in a row,” Patidar added.
“We will celebrate today, but then focus moves on again.”
For Patidar, however, winning the title was more important than anything else on Sunday.
“Nothing can be better than this. When you win an IPL trophy two times, no matter how much individual performance you do, it does not matter,” he said.
“Winning the trophy is everything. Nothing is better than this. I have learned a lot as a captain and as a batsman.”
The victory also reinforced the dressing-room environment that Patidar has repeatedly highlighted throughout the season – one built on clarity of roles and collective responsibility rather than dependence on a few individuals.
Reflecting on the shift within the franchise over the last few seasons, Patidar pointed to a deeper change in mindset rather than any single tactical adjustment.
“The culture has definitely changed, but I cannot compare with before because I have only played since 2021,” he said.
“What I see now is a change in mindset.”
He credited the coaching group for setting that tone across the squad, especially in how they manage both senior and emerging players.
“The coaching staff deserves full credit. They treat every player equally – whether experienced or new.”
“That is the biggest change I see.”
Patidar’s reflections on his growth as both a batsman and captain underlined how much of his evolution has come from absorbing details from those around him, while also investing time in refining his own game.
“As a batsman, I understand myself better now. I spent a lot of time before IPL on my batting,” he said.
“I did proper net sessions, worked alone, and I also spoke a lot with DK bhai about trigger points and technical changes. That gave me a lot of clarity in execution.”
The RCB captain also credited former skipper Faf du Plessis for shaping his understanding of leadership through example rather than instruction.
“As a captain, I learned a lot from Faf du Plessis – how he presents himself, his confidence, his body language. I learnt a lot from that,” he added.
The impact of RCB’s support staff, particularly bowling coach Omkar Salvi, has been a quiet but defining factor behind their back-to-back IPL titles.
Patidar traced Salvi’s influence back to his early domestic days, highlighting the consistency of his work and the attention he gives to individual players rather than group sessions.
“I have seen Omkar Salvi sir, since I started my first Ranji season. From there, I have been watching him,” he said.
“He spends a lot of time one-on-one with every bowler. There is a lot of hard work he has done for the team. We don’t always see him in meetings or talking in groups, but he works individually with players.”
Patidar added that this behind-the-scenes approach has had a direct impact on the bowling group’s development and consistency throughout the season.
“He spent a lot of time one-on-one, especially with bowlers. That really helped them.”
