Rajat Patidar might have made a whole fandom of cricket upset as he chose the Universe Boss, Chris Gayle as the best T20 batter of all times. During an interview with SportsLaunchpad, Rajat Patidar was given a number of choices in the form of various famous cricketers to choose from.
Patidar’s initial choice was inevitably the MI skipper, Rohit Sharma when he chose him from the likes of Suresh Raina, David Warner, Jos Buttler, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell. However, when it came to choosing between former RCB player Ab de Villiers and Rohit Sharma the current RCB skipper chose de Villiers. The final round came up to choosing between the six hitting Chris Gayle and the Proteas cricketer, that’s when Rajat Patidar made his final choice and chose Chris Gayle as the greatest T29 player.
The decision had plenty of statistical backing. Gayle scored 4,965 runs in 142 IPL matches, including six centuries and 31 fifties. His record for RCB was even more impressive, with 3,163 runs in 85 games at an average of 43.33 and a strike rate of 152.73, including 19 fifties and five centuries. His explosive batting and ability to dominate attacks became a defining part of RCB’s history, making Patidar’s choice understandable despite the presence of legends such as Rohit, Warner and de Villiers.
“If your idol backs you, then you don’t need anything more”: Rajat Patidar reveals Virat Kohli’s support in winning IPL 2026 tournament
Rajat Patidar had also opened up about the strong bond he shares with Virat Kohli, revealing how the former RCB captain has supported him throughout his journey with the franchise. Patidar, who took over as RCB captain ahead of IPL 2025, said Kohli’s backing meant a great deal to him, especially given how much he admired him growing up. He explained that he closely observed Kohli’s approach to cricket, both on and off the field, and has continued to learn from his experience.
Patidar said, “If your idol backs you, then you don’t need anything more. You don’t need anyone else’s support. I used to notice everything about him when he batted. I mean, from what he did on the ground to what his routine was like off the field, I noticed everything. Later, I came to know that he had backed me a lot, including when it came to the captaincy. It is not easy to give someone the captaincy of an RCB team, considering the number of fans and the expectations. He must have seen something in me, I don’t know what, but I have received a lot of support from him in the team.”
He added, “Even when I was just a player, he supported me a lot. Whenever I look at him, you know, I feel that he is always ready to help any player. It does not matter who the player is. Even if someone is new to the team, he is always ready to help. If a player has any problem, he talks to them. He has so much experience and so many ideas that you always get an answer to every question from him. So, it is not just me. He has helped every player, even the foreigners. Whenever I am on the ground, there is always someone or the other around him.”
