Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Rajat Patidar (AP Photo)

Rajat Patidaremerged as one of the most influential figures in IPL Even in 2026, he led Royal Challengers Bangalore to their second consecutive title. The RCB skipper not only led the franchise from the front but also played a vital role with the bat, helping his team successfully defend the crown they won a year ago.Patidar enjoyed another excellent season in the middle order, scoring 501 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 192.69. Time and again, he has performed well in pressure situations, whether stabilizing the innings after early wickets fell or leading the counterattack when RCB needed quick runs.Despite those contributions, the former Australia captain michael clarke He believes that Patidar’s performances did not get the recognition they deserved.Speaking on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Clarke described the RCB skipper as one of the most underrated players of IPL 2026, arguing that his presence Virat Kohli This often means that other key contributors are given less attention.Clarke said, “Patidar has been brilliant again in the tournament and he is my player. With Virat Kohli in the team, he will always be the most talked about player. But Patidar has done an extraordinary job with the way he has led and got the best out of all his players. His own performance while batting in a difficult middle order has been brilliant.”Patidar’s leadership skills have grown significantly in the last two seasons. Under his captaincy, RCB turned into a team that chased a title for years and has now won consecutive championships.For Clarke, those achievements should give the 31-year-old a firm place in the discussion about India’s T20 team.He said, “Although he is 31 years old, he deserves to be talked about in the Indian T20 team. I don’t know whether he will captain India or not, but he has leadership qualities. His middle-order batting has been amazing. Batting at No. 4 in T20 is the toughest position and he comes into this position and explodes.”The former Australian captain believes that Patidar’s importance goes beyond his batting. According to Clarke, captaining a team to consecutive IPL titles is an achievement that selectors cannot easily ignore.While competition for places in Indian cricket remains intense, Clarke feels Patidar has done enough to put himself at the forefront of white-ball opportunities.“There is a lot of talent in India at the moment, and many of them are fighting to get into the Indian team this IPL. But if you captain a team that consistently wins IPL tournaments, then the BCCI and the Indian selectors will definitely be talking about him. His name should be at the front of the queue in T20 and he can also be considered for ODI cricket,” Clarke said.With 501 runs, a strike rate close to 200 and another IPL trophy as captain, Patidar’s case has certainly become difficult to ignore. It remains to be seen whether this translates into an India comeback, but Clarke believes the RCB skipper has earned the right to be part of that conversation.