Rajat Patidar injury update — Is he playing SRH vs RCB IPL 2026 final league match on Friday?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have received a major boost ahead of their final IPL 2026 league match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat confirmed that captain Rajat Patidar is fully fit and available for selection for Friday’s important clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.

Patidar missed RCB’s previous match against Punjab Kings as a precaution, with Jitesh Sharma leading the side in his absence. Despite missing their regular captain, RCB still secured a strong 23-run victory over PBKS and officially confirmed their place in the IPL 2026 playoffs.

Speaking before the SRH clash, Bobat said, “Rajat is good to go. We were cautious and did not take any risks with him. We thought we would give him a little bit longer to recover and rest, but he is here, he is practising and he is good to go."

"Rajat Is Good to Go" — Mo Bobat confirms RCB captain back in training ahead of SRH clash

Rajat Patidar’s return is a huge boost for RCB because the middle-order batter has been one of the team’s most important players this season. His calm batting and attacking game against spin bowlers have helped Bengaluru dominate several matches during IPL 2026.

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RCB have looked like one of the strongest teams this season under Patidar’s captaincy. The team currently sits at the top of the IPL 2026 points table with 18 points and the best net run rate in the tournament. A victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad would help RCB finish first in the standings and give them two chances to reach the IPL final.

Bobat also praised senior fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar for his performances this season. He said, “Bhuvi has been brilliant. His outcomes have been excellent; he has taken a lot of wickets, but also he has bowled with excellent rhythm. He has been effective at the front end of the innings and also the back end, so we are very pleased with how he is going."

How Rajat Patidar's Return Changes RCB's Playing XI vs SRH in Friday's IPL 2026 Clash

Rajat Patidar’s return completely strengthens the balance of RCB’s batting lineup. During the PBKS match, Jitesh Sharma had to handle captaincy, wicketkeeping, and middle-order batting responsibilities together. With Patidar returning as captain, Jitesh can now focus fully on his batting role.

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Patidar’s presence is also very important because of his strong strike rate against spin bowling this season. Sunrisers Hyderabad rely heavily on spinners during the middle overs, and Patidar’s batting at No. 4 could become a key factor in the match. His return also allows RCB to use their Impact Player strategy more freely depending on the match situation.

RCB’s likely playing XI against SRH could include Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Suyash Sharma. Impact Player options are Rasikh Salam, Venkatesh Iyer, Jordan Cox, Kanishk Chouhan, and Swapnil Singh.