Rajat Patidar, captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru ( RCB), was awarded a prestigious Honorary Doctorate. In 2026, he guided the franchise to its second straight title. He was honoured by Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel, the Governor of Madhya Pradesh. The right-handed batter posted a photo of himself being awarded the Doctorate. He dressed in traditional clothing.
Patidar posted a photo from the event on Instagram. In his caption, he wrote: “A moment of immense pride and gratitude. Honoured to receive an Honorary Doctorate from the Hon’ble Governor of Madhya Pradesh. A milestone I’ll always cherish.” RCBโs official X account also underscored the recognition, generating significant attention for the honour.
In the final of the 19th season of the tournament, Bengaluru beat the Gujarat Titans ( GT). He scored 501 runs in 14 innings, averaging 41.75 with a strike rate of 192.69, including five half-centuries. He guided RCB to their inaugural IPL title in 2025 and became the third captain in IPL history, following MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, to successfully defend that trophy.
Patidar led RCB to their first IPL title in 2025, ending the teamโs extended drought for a maiden championship. He led the side to another trophy in 2026, as RCB triumphed over Gujarat Titans in the final of the 19th IPL season. That win made Patidar only the third captain in IPL history to successfully defend the title, joining MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in that exclusive group. His stats across IPL 2026 showed his steady impact throughout the tournament. Patidar amassed 501 runs in 14 innings, averaging 41.75 with a strike rate of 192.69, and hit five half-centuries in the process.
