Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) face a date with destiny when they take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday, with the contest being dubbed as a virtual knockout in the race for the IPL 2024 playoffs. One of the four teams yet to win the IPL, RCB seemed down and out after losing seven of their first eighth league matches. However, with five wins on the trot, RCB could possibly make it to the playoffs with if they beat CSK in Bengaluru on Saturday, depending on their Net Run Rate.

Middle-order batter Rajat Patidar, who has been one of the catalysts in RCB’s ‘rise from the ashes’ journey, has credited the franchise’s impressive revival in the tournament to the team’s renewed mantra of ‘playing for pride.’

“To get support from the franchise and the team management allows the players to do their best on the field. The environment was good in the team even when things were not going our away. I think that plays a huge role in building the character of the team. I think that of course it’s a big franchise and playing for pride that was turn around. We have done earlier also in 2016. So I think we have an example in our own team pricing there,” Patidar said in a media interaction on Tuesday.

Patidar has scored 320 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 179.8 smashing five fifties in his last seven outings. He is RCB’s third-highest run-scorer only behind icon Virat Kohli (661) and captain Faf du Plessis (367).

Sharing his views on Kohli, Patidar added: “He (Kohli) always keeps the team first, which is a good thing to learn for every player,” said Patidar, as quoted by India Today.

RCB IPL 2024 Playoffs Scenario

For RCB to qualify, they have to beat Chennai Super Kings to reach 14 points. They would then hope that their NRR is above the other sides vying for the fourth spot in the playoffs. They would also hope SRH to lose both their remaining games or LSG don’t win their last match by a big margin.