Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris had a piece of advice for RCB ahead of the IPL 2025 season. Styris urged the Bengaluru-based franchise not to risk releasing Rajat Patidar before the mega auction, slated to be held over two days before the next season.
Scott Styris said there was no doubting Rajat Patidar’s talent and his late surge with the bat in IPL 2024 makes him a valuable Indian middle-order batting option for RCB. Patidar has been a crucial part of RCB’s resurgent run in the season as the Maharashtra batter has been in sensational hitting form.
“Rajat Patidar has come on leaps and bounds. We knew the talent he possessed anyway. But, if I were in charge of RCB and if I were allowed to keep four players,” Styris told Jio Cinema on Thursday, May 16.
“Rajat Patidar would be one of the four. Think of all the big names, arguably one of the bigger names around him. But, he would be one of the names I would retain. I will be like ‘no, no, we are not even risking putting you back out in the open market. You are too good’. I think he will go from strength to strength every year,” he added.
RCB have shown a lot of faith in Rajat Patidar over the years. The 30-year-old made a name for himself in the IPL with 333 runs, including a hundred, in IPL 2022. However, he missed the entire IPL 2023 season due to injury, but he was retained by the franchise for the 2024 season.
Rajat has in sensational hitting form against spin, proving to be an impact player in the middle overs for RCB in a season where Glenn Maxwell has struggled. Patidar has scored 20 sixes against spin and has struck at 224.69 against the spinners in IPL 2024.
