Ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s final league-stage match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat confirmed that captain Rajat Patidar is available for selection after missing the previous game due to concussion-related protocols.RCB, who have already qualified for the playoffs, will look to finish the league stage on top with a win over SRH. Patidar had missed the match against Punjab Kings after being hit on the helmet during the game against Kolkata Knight Riders. Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma led the side in his absence.Speaking before the match, Bobat said, “Rajat is good to go. We were cautious and did not take any risks with him. We thought we would give him a little bit longer to recover and rest, but he’s here, he is practicing and he is good to go.”Bobat added that the team is focused only on the next game and not thinking too far ahead.“It sounds like a bit of a cliche, but we just try and take one game at a time. Whether we are home or away, it does not really matter to us. We try to understand the conditions, respect the opposition, plan for them, and then focus on what we are good at and try and do that as well as we can.”“And then you repeat that for every group game really, so I do not know if there is a code or a secret. It is pleasing that we have been consistent. We have obviously won a number of games and even the games that we have not won, we have been competitive, so that is good. We feel in a good place about that, but we simply do that by concentrating on the next game,” he continued.Speaking about the SRH clash, Bobat said, “All the teams in this competition are good sides, there are dangerous players in every team, and anyone can take the game away from you, so you have to be very humble and respectful of the opposition, but also clear on your own strengths. We are not too bound by any history or records; we are just concentrating on the game tomorrow night.”Bobat also praised fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who currently leads the wicket-taking charts with 24 wickets in 13 innings.“Bhuvi has been brilliant. His outcomes have been excellent, he has taken a lot of wickets, but also he has bowled with excellent rhythm. He has been effective at the front end of the innings and also the back end, so we are very pleased with how he is going,” Bobat added.On Bhuvneshwar’s role in the team, Bobat said, “He talks well in meetings, he is a good source of insight and ideas on the field under pressure. He can be a great support to Rajat and Jitesh as well, which is really important. We get huge value out of him because he gives us so much.”
