Rajat Patidar injury

Rajat Patidar OUT, RCB New Captain REVEALED For PBKS Match

Sportsdunia Desk

Modified - May 17, 2026, 11:12 AM

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have suffered a massive blow ahead of their clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as their captain Rajat Patidar has been ruled out of the match.

As per the reports in The Times of India, Rajat Patidar is injured and didn’t even travel to Dharamsala. The RCB skipper has been key to his team's middle order in this tournament so far. He has been in sublime form and has played aggressively throughout the season.

Why Rajat Patidar Is Not Playing Today?

The exact nature of Rajat Patidar injury is yet to be known but it appears to be serious one, especially with him not traveling to Dharamsala. However, it will be officially updated by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team management soon.

Patidar’s absence will leave a massive void in RCB’s playing XI as he has been in red-hot form with the bat. The right-hander has dominated spin in the middle overs and with the PBKS clash being a must-win, his absence puts one of the best teams in IPL, RCB, on the back foot.

Jitesh Sharma Becomes RCB New Captain

In his place, Jitesh Sharma is the RCB captain against PBKS. The wicketkeeper-batter is the vice-captain of the side and also captained the side in one game last year when Rajat Patidar missed the game. He had a great outing in that game, slamming 85 runs off 33 balls to take his team home against LSG.

However, Jitesh Sharma has been struggling this year with his form. Despite being one of the best wicketkeepers in IPL, he has been getting out cheaply and has been facing a lot of criticism for it. He would be keen to shine as a leader and help RCB qualify for the playoffs by winning this game.

Speaking at the toss ahead of the PBKS vs RCB match, Jitesh provided a major update on Rajat Patidar, saying that the captain is doing fine and will be available for the next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He said:

“Rajat (Patidar) 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 a unit.”

RCB are on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs. They just need to win one game and it will take them to 18 points. If they win today, they will have a great opportunity to then seal the top two spot in the IPL points table. This would allow them to get an extra chance to reach the final.