Ahmedabad, June 1 (IANS) Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s back‑to‑back IPL title wins have drawn high praise from former India cricketers, with Saba Karim equating skipper Rajat Patidar’s leadership to that of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. At the Narendra Modi Stadium, RCB lifted their second consecutive IPL title after beating Gujarat Titans by five wickets.

The win also made RCB the third side after Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings to secure consecutive IPL title victories. Patidar is only the third captain to win back-to-back IPL titles after MS Dhoni (2010 and 2011 seasons) and Rohit Sharma (2019 and 2020 seasons).

“One of the biggest reasons behind RCB winning a second consecutive title has been the clarity around individual roles within the team, and Rajat Patidar deserves a lot of credit for that. If you look at his journey, he came in as a replacement player and eventually became the captain.

“For someone without international experience, earning respect in a dressing room filled with world-class players, including Virat Kohli, is not easy. Rajat earned that respect through consistent performances. Once he established himself, he became instrumental in shaping this side.

“He has played a major role in building a strong bowling unit. I also see a lot of clarity in his captaincy. When we talk about captains who have led teams to consecutive titles, names like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma come up, and I can see similarities in the way Rajat Patidar leads this team,” said Karim on Star Sports.

Sanjay Bangar, who also served as RCB’s head coach before being succeeded by Andy Flower, felt the side’s long‑awaited breakthrough had come at the right time after years of being so close yet so far. “RCB always looked capable of making this kind of impact, but they had to wait a long time for it. They were consistently reaching the playoffs and finals, but once they tasted success and found a group of players who complemented each other well, things started to fall into place.

“What stands out about this RCB side is the experience it possesses. Most of the players have played international cricket, so in many ways it resembles an international team in terms of its make-up.

“That experience and temperament become invaluable in pressure situations. Success breeds confidence, and RCB have now multiplied that success. Who knows, this could be the start of a decade where they go on to win a few more titles,” he added.

Reflecting on runners-up GT’s campaign, Anil Kumble said their middle order failed to back up the top three in crunch situations, something which occurred in the final. “Gujarat Titans bounced back strongly after losing their first two matches, with their top order consistently providing excellent starts. Their bowling attack was also experienced and capable of handling pressure situations.

“However, the middle order lacked consistency whenever the top order failed. Opposition teams knew that dismissing the top three early gave them a real chance in the game, and that is exactly what happened in the final.

“Unfortunately for Gujarat Titans, the middle order could not recover from those early setbacks. That is an area they will certainly look to strengthen heading into next season,” he added.

–IANS

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