There are great T20 knocks, and then there are generation-defining playoff innings that leave bowling attacks looking completely deflated. The packed house at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala just witnessed the latter. In the high-stakes pressure cooker of IPL 2026 Qualifier 1, Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar put on an absolute masterclass, smashing a jaw-dropping 93 off just 33 balls* to power RCB to a mammoth, history-making 254/5.
Entering the fray at number 4 with the platform laid but momentum hanging in the balance, Patidar unleashed a storm of the highest caliber. His flawless hitting completely hijacked the game from the Gujarat Titans (GT), breaking the record for the highest team total ever recorded in an IPL knockout match.
The Blistering Numbers: Patidar vs GT
- Runs/Balls: 93* runs off 33 balls
- Strike Rate: 281.82 (Highest ever by a captain with 50+ runs)
- Boundaries: 5 Fours / 9 Massive Sixes
- Dot Balls Faced: Only 1 dot ball in the entire innings
- Playoff Career Average: 112.66 across 6 knockout innings
RCB vs GT Qualifier 1: The Perfect Foundation
Before the Patidar storm arrived, RCB’s opening duo set an aggressive, intent-filled tone. Virat Kohli kicked things off with a crisp 43 off 25 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal added a brisk 30 off 19. They laid down a phenomenal launching pad, ensuring the scoreboard was ticking at over 10 runs an over.
However, Gujarat Titans temporarily fought their way back into the contest when veteran bowler Jason Holder struck twice in the exact same over. Holder removed both well-set batsmen, threatening to put the brakes on RCB’s charging run rate. That was precisely when Rajat Patidar walked out to the middle, took a look at the high-altitude boundaries of Dharamshala, and decided to take complete control of the match.
Rajat Patidar 93 Runs Off 33 Balls: Absolute Carnage
What followed was pure, unadulterated destruction. Patidar didn’t just look to build an innings; he looked to completely dismantle the GT bowling blueprint. Alongside Krunal Pandya, who played a superb supporting cameo of 43 off 28 balls, Patidar targeted the weak links in the Titans’ attack.
The defining moment of the shift in momentum came against left-arm medium-pacer Kulwant Khejroliya. Patidar and Krunal combined to take a staggering 28 runs off a single over, sending the ball flying into the stands. Exploiting the thin air and shorter boundaries of the mountain stadium, Patidar ended up smashing 9 massive sixes and 5 fours. He faced 33 balls and only recorded a single dot ball in his entire innings, finishing with a mind-boggling strike rate of 281.82.
IPL 2026 Playoffs: Patidar’s Incredible Knockout Record
With this spectacular knock, Rajat Patidar has firmly cemented his legacy as an immortal of the IPL playoffs. Ever since his magnificent, breakthrough 112* against LSG in the 2022 Eliminator, the right-hander turns into a completely different beast under postseason pressure.
His playoff tally now stands at an unbelievable 338 runs across just 6 knockout innings, boasting an average of 112.66 and a strike rate of 193.14. Only tournament legends like Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, and Kieron Pollard have hit more sixes than Patidar’s 24 in IPL playoff history—and Patidar has reached that neighborhood in a mere fraction of the games.
Lucky Raina is a complete cricket writer chasing corporate dreams by day and cricket stories by night. Once a promising Under 16 cricketer, life took him down a different pitch but the love for the game never left.
