IPL 2026: Why is Rajat Patidar not playing for RCB vs PBKS today?

The news was confirmed by Jitesh as he came up at the toss. However, he did also confirm that the batter will likely return towards Hyderabad.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are taking the field without their regular captain Rajat Patidar for their IPL 2026 encounter against Punjab Kings at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala today. In his absence, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma is leading the side today.  The news was confirmed by Jitesh as he came up at the toss. However, he did also confirm that the batter will likely return tin the match against Hyderabad.  Jitesh Sharma ater the toss: We would have loved to bowl first, but the wicket is good and should play well for 40 overs. Rajat is doing fantastic and we should see him in Hyderabad. We are at the business end of the tournament, and I’m happy with how the team is performing, both individually and as an unit. Yes, we are very pleased that the team looks so stable right now. We are giving our absolute best in every department. One win tonight secures our spot in the playoffs, so it’s a massive game for us. Every game is important at this stage. This win can change the entire table - not just for us, but for several other teams as well. Suyash replaces Rajat and Romario replaces Duffy. 

IPL 2026 Match 62, DC sv RR: LIVE SCORE | FULL SCORECARD | PLAYING 11 | LIVE STREAMING

 

  Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru  playing 11: 

Punjab Kings Playing 11: Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Cooper Connolly, Vishnu Vinod (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vijaykumar Vyshak

 

Impact Player: Prabhsimran Singh

 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing 11: Jacob Bethell/Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (capt), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Venkatesh Iyer, Rasikh Salam, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Jacob Duffy

 

Impact Player: Devdutt Padikkal

 

Patidar has played a crucial role in RCB’s successful campaign this season, scoring 326 runs in 10 innings at an explosive strike rate of 195, including three half-centuries. His absence leaves a major gap in Bengaluru’s middle order, and the team management now faces an important decision regarding his replacement in the playing XI.

 

RCB currently sit at the top of the IPL 2026 points table and a victory over PBKS would officially secure their place in the playoffs. The Bengaluru side heads into the match with momentum on its side after back-to-back wins.

 

The franchise will also continue to miss opener Phil Salt, who remains unavailable due to a finger injury. As a result, England youngster Jacob Bethell is likely to continue opening alongside Virat Kohli.

 

Interestingly, Jitesh Sharma has previous leadership experience with RCB, having captained the side during the latter stages of IPL 2025 when Patidar was used as an Impact Substitute during a key playoff fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

 

This match could also prove important personally for Jitesh, who has struggled for consistency this season. Known for his aggressive finishing abilities, the wicketkeeper-batter has managed only 90 runs so far and has found it difficult against pace bowling. With the playoffs approaching, both his captaincy and batting form will be under scrutiny.