Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) suffered a major setback as Rajat Patidar was ruled out for the rest of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 due to injury.
After being declared out for the current season, the batter took to social media to share an emotional message with RCB supporters.
Originally, it was anticipated that the batsman from Madhya Pradesh would be available for the franchise during the second part of the season. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old will not play this season due to an Achilles Heel injury, which prompted him to post on Instagram that he would ‘miss’ the fans at the M. Chinnasamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
“I will always cheer for the red and gold army at Chinnaswamy, regardless of where I am. Until next time, “Patidar posted to his Instagram account.
Notably, the RCB batsman had an outstanding season in 2022, scoring 333 runs in eight matches with two half-centuries and one century.
RCB hopes to continue its scorching form against KKR. On Sunday, April 2, Faf du Plessis and company began their campaign with a resounding victory over Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians. On Thursday, April 6, they will face the Kolkata Knight Riders at the legendary Eden Gardens in an effort to continue their impressive play.
Intriguingly, it is the same stadium where injured Rajat scored his first century in the league against the Lucknow Super Giants in the previous season’s elimination. While RCB will miss his services during the current season, the remainder of the squad will strive to retain consistency and compete hard for the championship.
In Rajat Patidar’s absence, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik played at No. 3 in the opening match against Mumbai. Yet, he will likely play his natural position as a finisher. The club has not yet named Rajat Patidar as a replacement; however, Anuj Rawat, Suyash Prabhudessai, and Mahipal Lomror are potential candidates to fill the batting order vacancy.