Why Ravichandran Ashwin compares Rajat Patidar-Virat Kohli relationship to Ramayan a After RCB’s IPL 2026 Title Victory
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad witnessed not just a historic back-to-back title triumph for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), but also a profound display of leadership dynamics that has captured the cricketing world’s attention. Following RCB’s emphatic five-wicket victory over the Gujarat Titans, veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared a fascinating perspective on the leadership structure within the RCB camp. In an insightful analysis, Ravichandran Ashwin compares Rajat Patidar-Virat Kohli relationship to Ramayan a tale of ultimate selflessness, trust, and mutual respect.
RCB successfully defended their IPL crown on Sunday, May 31, chasing down a target of 156 runs in just 18 overs. While the players celebrated their second consecutive IPL trophy, Ashwin took to his YouTube channel to dissect the unspoken chemistry between the young RCB captain, Rajat Patidar, and the legendary Virat Kohli. The seasoned spinner highlighted how the pre-match huddle before the high-pressure final perfectly encapsulated their unique partnership.
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The Sacred Bond: Explaining the Ramayan Analogy
During his analytical breakdown of the final, Ashwin explained that although Rajat Patidar is the official captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he completely understood the immense aura and experience that Virat Kohli brings to the table. Instead of letting ego get in the way, Patidar allowed Kohli to take full charge of motivating the squad during the crucial pre-match huddle before the final.
Ashwin drew a beautiful parallel from the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayan, to describe this selfless relationship. He remarked: “Even ahead of today’s match, it was Virat talking in the huddle. The partnership is like, ‘Big brother, you take care of the team, I’m just the captain.’ You run this team, but I will just be the leader. Like what Bharat did with Ram’s slippers in Ramayan, Rajat did that here. The way Virat was talking, Rajat Patidar was watching him with the team, literally giving that space to Virat.”
This gesture, according to Ashwin, showed the maturity of Patidar, who was happy to play the role of Bharat, keeping the “slippers” of the king (Ram/Kohli) on the throne while executing his duties with humility, acknowledging Kohli as the natural leader of the group.
Virat Kohli: The Eternal Alpha
Kohli’s leadership off the field was matched by his extraordinary batting display on it. Chasing 156 for victory, the former RCB captain played a masterful, unbeaten knock of 75 runs off just 42 deliveries. Kohli reached his half-century in a blistering 25 balls, effectively shutting the Gujarat Titans out of the contest. Alongside power-hitter Tim David, Kohli guided RCB to a comfortable chase, sealing the championship with two overs to spare.
This match-winning performance capped off a phenomenal IPL 2026 campaign for Kohli. He finished the tournament as the fourth-highest run-scorer, accumulating 675 runs in 16 innings at a staggering average of 56.25 and an explosive strike rate of 165.84. His season included five half-centuries and a magnificent highest score of 105*.
Reflecting on this, Ashwin emphasized that Kohli’s presence transcends captaincy titles. “Virat Kohli is an alpha in a team, and he will always remain an alpha. Even if he is not captaining, he will remain the alpha,” Ashwin stated, reinforcing the idea that true leadership is about influence, not designations.
Bowling Setup and Tactical Brilliance
Before the batsmen completed the chase, the RCB bowlers laid the foundation for the victory. After winning the toss, captain Rajat Patidar opted to bowl first on the Ahmedabad track. The RCB bowling unit delivered a highly disciplined performance, keeping the Gujarat Titans under constant pressure and picking up wickets at regular intervals to restrict them to a modest 155/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Young fast bowler Rasikh Dar Salam was the star of the show, returning superb figures of 3/27. He was brilliantly supported by veteran swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Australian speedster Josh Hazlewood, both of whom picked up two wickets apiece to dismantle the GT batting line-up.
RCB’s Only Mistake: The Jacob Duffy Gamble
Despite a near-perfect game, Ashwin did point out one tactical error made by the RCB management. He believed that starting the bowling innings with Jacob Duffy was a risky move that could have backfired. Duffy struggled in his opening over, conceding 13 runs, and ended up being the only RCB bowler to go wicketless in the final.
Ashwin compared this to Jofra Archer’s expensive opening over in the previous match, noting: “RCB’s first and only mistake in the match was giving the first over to Jacob Duffy. They did not make any mistakes after that. Jacob Duffy gave 13 runs. Jofra Archer conceded 19 runs from the first over in the last game, and the match was over.” Fortunately for RCB, the rest of the bowling attack quickly course-corrected, ensuring that the early blemish did not hurt their championship aspirations.
