Who will be out of RCB's 11 if Rajat Patidar plays against SRH tonight in IPL 2026?
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Rajat Patidar is expected to return in the SRH vs RCB clash.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to clash in their last league match of the Indian Premier League 2026 tonight. Both teams have qualified for the playoffs.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have shown impeccable form this season, winning 9 out of 13 games. They currently grab the top spot in the points table and are the favourites to win the title once again.
The defending champions have also delivered impressive form recently, winning their last three games. In their previous game against the Punjab Kings, they were short of captain Rajat Patidar.
RCB skipper suffered a minor head injury against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). A bouncer from Kartik Tyagi hit his helmet. Due to precautionary concussion concerns, he missed the previous clash against PBKS. Jitesh Sharma captained the side in his absence.
However, Patidar is highly likely to play in the clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad. After his return, RCB will have to drop someone from the playing XI.
Who will be dropped after Rajat Patidar’s return?
Opener Jacob Bethell has completely flopped with his batting. In seven games, he has scored just 96 runs. Hence, RCB can drop him from the playing XI after Patidar’s return.
Moreover, they can name Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli as the openers. While Kohli is the leading run-scorer for the side, Iyer has impressed in the previous encounter.
By dropping Bethell, they can also add another overseas pacer like Jacob Duffy or Richard Gleeson instead of spinner Suyash Sharma. Since RCB have already qualified for the playoffs, they can risk with the team combination against SRH.
Meanwhile, Patidar has scored 337 runs in 11 innings at an average of 33.70 and a strike rate of 192.57. The RCB skipper has hammered three fifties, and his aggressive batting approach has helped the team in the middle overs.
Will Rajat Patidar play in the SRH vs RCB clash?
He is completely fit to play in the encounter.
When and where will the SRH vs RCB clash take place?
The encounter will take place on May 22 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.