There were runs, records, and a bit of scare during the night. Kohli yet again set the stage alight by hitting a composed 50 from just 38 deliveries as the Royals amassed a huge total of 240/4 against the Mumbai Indians. The senior player of RCB further became the first to score more than 1,000 runs against MI in the IPL. However, a worry came through as he failed to take part in the game due to an ankle injury.
The news arrived when MI was pursuing RCB at the Wankhede Stadium, and Kohli was absent from the pitch because of the substitute.
RCB skipper, Rajat Patidar gave a cautious statement after the match, saying, “I do not know yet, but I think he, I feel that he is okay right now.”
Patidar on Kohli’s Fitness and Top-Order Impact
Patidar was still cautious about the matter. However, he did not reveal the severity of his teammate’s injury but rather felt that nothing serious occurred at the moment. It seemed that the management decided to bench Kohli just because of his ankle pain during the innings.
Kohli had made an impact on the game even before its start. He created an important opening pair with Phil Salt and set the pace. His efforts helped RCB remain in the lead throughout the game despite not participating in the playfield.
Team Effort at Wankhede
The success was attributed to the entire batting performance. Patidar talked about the importance of having clear role definition and the ability to perform well under pressure. Starting off with good performance from the top order and ending the game with strong performances from some of the finishers enabled RCB to score a high score. He also spoke of the energy that the crowd at Mumbai generated.
Speaking of the atmosphere, fans and this stadium he said, “Whenever we come here in Mumbai, especially at this ground, the atmosphere, the fans, and playing along with them and playing in a full-packed stadium – that is a different feeling.”
Patidar’s Form In IPL 2026
The statistics of Patidar himself speak volumes about his performance level. The player has managed to score 195 runs in four innings, averaging a batting strike rate of more than 65.00 and over 214, with two fifties. Additionally, Patidar has performed equally well against both the spin and pace bowlers, scoring with a good strike rate in both formats.
Speaking about his strengths in batting, he said, “To be honest, people used to say that I love playing spin, but if someone asks me, I would say I love playing pace. And the playing pace on this track, I think it’s a very good track to play for a fast bowler. So I think I love facing fast bowling.”
