The only moment when the Gujarat Titans briefly looked in the contest came during a tense passage in the middle overs, when Jason Holder’s two-wicket burst in the ninth over handed Royal Challengers Bengaluru a rare reality check. The run rate suddenly dipped as Rashid Khan tightened the screws from the other end. It all culminated in Prasidh Krishna creating not one, but two opportunities in three balls to dismiss Rajat Patidar. Kagiso Rabada dropped the simpler chance, and Patidar made Gujarat pay immediately.
The RCB captain switched into overdrive, finding boundaries at will and punishing anything in his arc. He hammered five sixes and nine boundaries and, at one stage, a century looked inevitable. But with strike drying up late in the innings, Patidar remained unbeaten on a blistering 93 off just 33 balls as RCB piled up a monstrous 254 for five in 20 overs.
Patidar’s knock in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2026 is now officially the fastest 90-plus score in IPL history. His staggering strike rate of 281.81 surpassed even Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking 103 off 37 (strike rate of 278.38) earlier this season against Sunrisesr Hyderabad in Jaipur. And in case you are wondering about that iconic Chjris Gayle knock of 175 runs, that was of a strike rate of 265.
Yet, more than the record itself, it was Virat Kohli’s reaction to one of Patidar’s sixes that truly stole the spotlight.
{{/usCountry}}Yet, more than the record itself, it was Virat Kohli’s reaction to one of Patidar’s sixes that truly stole the spotlight.
{{/usCountry}}ALSO READ: INR 11 crore of damage by Rajat Patidar: RCB skipper turns a knockout into a public beating
The moment arrived on the fourth ball of the 17th over against Rabada. Looking to redeem himself after the dropped catch, the South African quick bowled a length delivery outside off. Patidar leaned back slightly and unleashed a ferocious lofted drive over cover. The timing alone sent the ball soaring deep into the crowd.
As the broadcast camera panned towards the RCB dugout, Kohli stood frozen in disbelief. He stepped forward instinctively to track where the ball had landed, stared back towards Patidar, and appeared completely lost for words. Moments earlier, Patidar had brought up his fifty in equally outrageous fashion, with another towering six.
This was hardly the first time Patidar had delivered when the stakes were highest.
Whenever RCB have needed a knockout-game hero, Patidar has repeatedly answered the call. His unforgettable unbeaten 112 against Lucknow Super Giants in the 2022 Eliminator remains one of the great playoff knocks in IPL history.
Overall, Patidar now has 338 playoff runs at a staggering strike rate of 193, including a century and two fifties. His tally also includes 24 sixes in IPL knockout matches — only Suresh Raina (40), MS Dhoni (28) and Kieron Pollard (25) have hit more.
RCB eventually completed a comfortable victory, with the bowlers dominating the second innings to dismiss Gujarat for just 162 in 19.3 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar reclaimed the Purple Cap with a brilliant three-wicket haul.