Biography

Rajat Manohar Patidar is an Indian cricketer renowned for his skills as a right-handed batter. Steadily coming up the ranks, Patidar made his mark in the Indian domestic arena with consistent performances.

In the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy, he emerged as Madhya Pradesh's leading run-scorer, amassing 713 runs. However, his defining moment came during the 2022 Indian Premier League season, when he scored a match-winning century in the playoffs for Bengaluru. His stellar performance earned him recognition, finishing the season with 333 runs in 8 matches.

Retained by Bengaluru for the 2023 season, Patidar continued to impress, leading to his inclusion in India's ODI squad for series against South Africa and New Zealand. Despite an Achilles heel injury in 2023, he bounced back strongly, emerging as the top run-scorer for Madhya Pradesh in the 2023/24 Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Patidar's consistent displays earned him a spot in India's ODI squad for the tour of South Africa, making his debut in the 3rd ODI. Subsequently, he featured for India A against England Lions in a red-ball series, where his back-to-back centuries paved the way for his Test call-up for the series against England, replacing Virat Kohli. However, his maiden Test series didn't go as expected, ending with just 63 runs from 6 innings, with 32 being his highest score.

Patidar returned to domestic cricket to refine his game and, in 2024, smashed a blistering 159 off 102 balls against Haryana, reaching his century in just 68 deliveries - surpassing Naman Ojha's record for the fastest first-class hundred by a Madhya Pradesh batter. He also led his side to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final, where his 81-run knock set a new record for the highest individual score by an Indian captain in a domestic T20 final, previously held by Gautam Gambhir. He ended the tournament with 428 runs in 9 games but unfortunately could not lift the trophy. His biggest milestone, however, came in early 2025 when he was appointed captain of Bengaluru for the Indian Premier League.