Bengaluru, March 29 Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar said that the team has put aside the euphoria of winning the IPL last season, and the team's focus is now simply on "achieving all the necessary goals" to win another trophy this year.
RCB had a resounding start to IPL 2026, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets on Saturday, but Patidar said that they are not viewing this season's campaign particularly as a title defense.
"We are not here with the mindset that we have to defend anything; what we achieved in 2025 is in the past. We are here with the mindset that in 2026, we need to achieve all the necessary goals, and that will help us win the trophy this year," Patidar said in the post-match press conference.
In that context, RCB achieved three key goals after Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, and Jacob Duffy produced brilliant performances to anchor the team's win.
First, Patidar praised Kohli.
"Virat Kohli is a number one chaser, so I always admired his batting. It was great to watch him bat from the dugout, the way he played the shots, the way he assessed the situation. I think it was really good to see," he said.
"I also feel (like head coach Andy Flower) that he is at his peak. I have no words to describe his innings. He is my idol, and I have learned a lot from watching him in the nets. I see the same energy and eagerness to dominate the game," he added.
Patidar also praised pacer Duffy, who took three wickets to dismantle SRH's top order.
"Jacob Duffy is a specialist T20 bowler, and we have a lot of confidence in him. The way he delivered his skills was tremendous," he said.
Feeling sad when you miss a family member
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The match between RCB and SRH started on a somber note, with a minute's silence observed in memory of the 11 fans who were killed in last year's stampede near the stadium.
Patidar said it was always a "difficult feeling" to miss family members.
"Of course, you feel bad when you miss a family member. I will say 'family member' because everyone who has supported us over the years, I think they are like a family to us, and we miss them. I don't have the words to say right now," he said.
However, Patidar was happy to return to the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
"Absolutely, whenever we come here to Chinnaswamy, it's a season opener for us, and playing with the support of the 12th man, I think it's really exciting and fun," he added.