IPL 2026: ‘Trying to stay in the hunter mindset,’ Mo Bobat on RCB’s charge to play-offs
RCB became the first team to qualify for the knockout stage this year and collected 18 points. With a game in hand, they will be keen to finish high in the points table. The side has nine wins from 13 matches played so far and will face Lucknow Super Giants in the final stage of the league on May 22.
“I didn’t want to make it feel like we climbed Mount Everest (like we won the championship last year). We just wanted to keep climbing, keep hunting. We talked a little bit within ourselves with that language, just tried to stay in the hunter mentality,” Bobat told a select media briefing as part of the third edition of RCB Innovation Lab’s India Sports Summit.
“It’s really important for myself and even the senior players to adapt quickly, reset mindsets and see what we’re going for next,” he added.
So how easy was it to instill this mentality in the players?
“A lot of this comes down to the psychological change to get people aligned and motivated to get to the next level. Sport is very unforgiving. You win a cup and the world moves on very quickly.
“You have to strike a balance between enjoying and being proud of what you have achieved, but also turning people’s attention to the next level. As good as this season has been for us, the same will be true this season. Obviously, we want to go all the way, but that may not happen,” he said. A key element of this progression process is managing a variety of players in the dugout, from highly experienced pros to wide-eyed novices.
“You might have a 19-year-old player who has just signed his first IPL contract. You might have an Indian player in his mid-thirties who has been there and done everything for his country and multiple teams.
“You also have a slightly skewed financial context where players’ earnings are not actually related to player value. What you get at an auction is not your value, it’s supply and demand. So you might have a player who is more experienced and has achieved more, earning less than a rookie, but actually that skill set is in demand.”
“So how do you line up all these people for the same purpose, how do you ensure that everyone’s efforts go in the same direction? In the IPL you get about eight to ten days. So it’s not easy, but it’s one of the really exciting challenges,” he elaborated.
Rajat Patidar is unique
Bobat said having a relatively low-profile captain like Rajat Patidar who looks after on-field matters helps divide duties and deliver better results.
“Rajat is quite a unique character. I came into the series with Faf (du Plessis) as captain. Everyone will know Faf’s reputation, his talent, he is a stand-up guy, a brilliant leader. He is the kind of person who wants to contribute to everything as a cricket captain.”
“But Rajat is very different. Rajat is more confident… He wants to contribute to the team that comes on the field, and then when he crosses the line to go on the field, he thinks his job will start.
“So it’s about in-game tactics, in-game decision-making, who is bowling when, what pitches we designate. And apart from that, he doesn’t want a lot of the other expectations and pressures. He wants to trust the management team.”
The Englishman then talked about how Patidar has improved as captain over the last two seasons.
“I would say he probably has a relatively narrow remit compared to Faf. But he’s definitely developing his own understanding and views of how he wants the team to be aligned. He’s got a stronger sense of how he wants the team to play.”
“He’s definitely becoming a better decision-maker in midfield. He’s been very good at blocking out the noise from day one. That can come from the senior players in-house.”
Bobat said Patidar has grown as a captain and now manages senior players like Virat Kohli better.
“But I’m sure Rajat, Virat, Krunal, you know, whoever it is, will face some good challenges trying to manage the input, whether it’s really feisty characters that we love. How can we improve on what we’re doing?”
“So I think he’s developing all those skills. So we’ll continue to develop him over time, but it’s been great to see his development so far,” he added.
