Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan addressed three players, including captain Rajat Patidar, who could be the main areas of concern for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) during their IPL 2026 campaign, which is scheduled to begin on March 28. In the opening match, RCB will host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at their home ground M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
RCB will enter the tournament as the defending champions. Under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, the Red and Black team won their first IPL title in the 2025 season.
Irfan Pathan is worried about some special cricketers
Irfan Pathan is worried about the ongoing form of many RCB players. England’s international opening batsman Phil Salt, who scored runs at a consistent pace in the last IPL season, is currently out of form. Even in the T20 World Cup 2026, his edge remained cool and he scored only one half-century.
More than Phil Salt’s poor form, Pathan is more worried about the fact that Rajat Patidar has had to struggle for runs in domestic tournaments in recent times. The middle-order batsman scored only 67 runs in three matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025-26, and 113 runs in seven innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26.
Why can captain Rajat Patidar himself become a problem for RCB in IPL 2026?
Irfan Pathan said that there will be a lot of pressure on Rajat Patidar because as the leader of the team, he will have to maintain the set level by winning the trophy. If he remains out of form then this task can become even more difficult for him.
Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel, “He will have some challenges this year. Phil Salt is not in form. Even in the recent World Cup, he scored only one half-century. Rajat Patidar’s form in domestic cricket has also not been good. As a captain, it is very important for you to feel good. This will be a matter of concern.”
He further said, “This will be the real challenge for Rajat. You have set a level and now you have to maintain it. Initially you will not have the services of your frontline pacers. Then how will he remain calm? It will all depend on him.”
There is news that RCB’s leading fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is likely to not play in the first few matches of the tournament. The Australian star is yet to recover from his hamstring injury.
Tim David is also not in good form
Along with Salt and Patidar, Pathan is also worried about Tim David. The Australian all-rounder is also not at his peak yet. But the former cricketer is not worried about his batting as the pitches in IPL may be better for the batsmen.
Pathan said, “Tim David is also not in his usual form. This was not seen in the T20 World Cup. Yes, there will be better pitches in the IPL and these batsmen can get their form back. I am still not too worried about his batting.”
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