Rajat Patidar names RCB legend as greatest T20 batter, leaves out Rohit Sharma-AB de Villiers
RCB captain Rajat Patidar has picked franchise legend as the greatest T20 batter of all time after choosing from several cricketing legends.
Rajat Patidar picks RCB legend Chris Gayle as the greatest T20 batter of all time. (Photo: X)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar has given his verdict on the greatest T20 batter of all time. The young skipper led RCB to their first IPL title in 2025 after beating Punjab Kings in the final before helping the franchise successfully defend the trophy in 2026.
RCB have been one of the most followed teams in IPL for long now and legendary names like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle played a big role in the franchise's popularity. Although de Villiers and Gayle have retired from the IPL, their impact on RCB remains strong.
Patidar picks RCB legend over T20 legends
During a conversation on the Sports Launchpad YouTube channel, Patidar took part in a segment where he had to choose the greatest T20 batter from a list of legendary players.
He initially picked Rohit Sharma over Jos Buttler, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Shane Watson and David Warner.
However, as the choices became tougher, Patidar selected AB de Villiers over Rohit Sharma. The South African great then progressed ahead of other legendary names, including Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Matthew Hayden and MS Dhoni.
In the final round, de Villiers faced his former RCB teammate Chris Gayle. With both players having played a huge role in RCB's history, the choice was not easy. Patidar ultimately selected Gayle as his greatest T20 batter of all time.
Gayle's remarkable IPL numbers
Gayle's IPL record explains why Patidar's choice is hardly surprising. The West Indies legend scored 4,965 runs in 142 IPL matches, including six centuries and 31 half-centuries. He also holds the record for the most IPL hundreds.
For RCB, Gayle scored 3,163 runs in 85 matches. His explosive batting, particularly his ability to clear the boundary consistently, made him one of the most feared T20 batters of his generation. RCB themselves describe his 2011 arrival as a turning point for the franchise.
Patidar opens up about Virat Kohli's support
Patidar also spoke about his relationship with Virat Kohli and described it as a privilege to take over the RCB captaincy from one of the franchise's biggest icons.
"If your idol backs you, then you don't need anything more," Patidar said while explaining how closely he followed Kohli's approach both on and off the field.
He added that Kohli had supported him significantly, including when the captaincy decision was being discussed. Patidar also admitted that taking over as RCB captain comes with huge expectations because of the team's massive fan base.
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