Patidar can take RCB forward: Uthappa

Newly-installed Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar has big shoes to fill in but former IPL star Robin Uthappa reckoned the steely Madhya Pradesh batter has the potential to drive the franchise forward provided he figures out early itself on what kind of leadership he wants to imbibe.

“Rajat will have to contend with the superstardom of Virat Kohli within that side. And he will, I think, lean on Virat Kohli's captaincy skills a lot. But I think Rajat is in a unique position to be able to take RCB forward,” Uthappa, a JioStar expert, told a select media gathering in an online interaction on Wednesday.

“He has done fairly well with leadership in domestic cricket. But he'll have to convert that, obviously, again into performances as far as RCB is concerned. The challenges would be, you know, conditions, home conditions. How do you win in home conditions? 

“Small grounds, high-scoring grounds, no real home advantage. So, they'll (Axar Patel of Delhi Capitals) have to figure out a solution for that as leaders. For me, I think that would be one of the biggest challenges that they would face. I think Rajat is a good pick as the captain.”

At the mega auctions last November, the RCB think-tank veered away from their superstar-centric approach and assembled a squad without too many box-office attractions but potent enough players to get the job done. They also laid a special focus on bowling, considering that had been their Achilles Heel for the longest of time.

Uthappa, who turned up for RCB in 2009 and 2010, felt the franchise has got a very balanced squad. “I think they've picked a very solid side. I think batting, they've very much sorted. Bowling also, I feel like, as far as fast bowling is concerned, new ball and death bowling is concerned, they've picked a very solid side. They’ve got Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal and Rasikh Dar, a very decent set.

“But if you have to nitpick, then I would say, it’s the spin department. Krunal Pandya as your main spinner. And then, Suyash Sharma, again, as someone who has, you know, gotten wickets but has been slightly on the expensive side. So, from that point of view, if you have to nitpick, then you would have to say spin department is just slightly thin.”

Kohli and Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma, following a slump in form, regained their mojo in the just-concluded ICC Champions Trophy where India emerged triumphant. Uthappa, a two-time IPL champion and 2014 Orange Cap winner, predicted the two legends to come out all guns blazing.

“I don't think they'll have even an iota of issues to come out there and smash the living daylights out of bowlers at the IPL. And I really think that both will do exceptionally well. I think Virat has really come through into good form. And I think in Bangalore, he's so familiar with these conditions that he's always going to thrive in those conditions. 

“So will Rohit. Rohit in general hasn't lived up to his potential of the incredibly dynamic batter that he is in the IPL in recent history. But it looks like everything is going his way at this point in time. So I wouldn't put it past him to have one of his best seasons in the IPL.”