Fate can be ruthless. And in sport, its cruelty often feels personal. Just ask Virat Kohli. For all his records, match-winning knocks, and relentless passion, one trophy continues to elude him: The IPL. Season after season, the dream slips just out of reach. For Kohli, it’s not about form or failure, it’s about timing, and timing, sadly, hasn't been on his side.
Then there’s Shreyas Iyer: A captain who’s done almost everything right. He’s led with composure, delivered under pressure, and lifted titles at every possible level. Yet, the recognition rarely matches the results. And even fate can't be blamed now.
Tonight, he meets Rajat Patidar from RCB, and both the skippers are ready to walk towards that unconquered throne for Punjab and Bengaluru- the IPL trophy.
Iyer created history
Iyer has taken a team, which were not even close to being called underdogs and have survived 18 years in the cash-rich league with the tag of 'chokers', into the finals, finally.
Also Read: IPL final fight- $12 billion Indian Premier League glitz set to end season after creating history
Iyer is closer to achieve a feat no one has done. It is to win an IPL title with two different teams. Having led KKR to the title last season, and the 30-year-old batsman has the chance to create history if PBKS lift their maiden trophy under his captaincy. A 25-year-old Iyer, back in 2020, had also taken Delhi Capitals to their maiden finals, falling just short to Mumbai Indians from that coveted trophy.
2023-24 was a year marked with setbacks for the Mumbai lad. However, he rose and only rose after he was dropped by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from their central contract list.
Iyer responded with his performances on the field, starting with domestic tournaments. He played a key role in Mumbai’s successful season, winning the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).
Iyer also led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to an IPL title in 2024, showcasing his leadership skills alongside dependable middle-order contributions. These efforts revived his place in the national team setup. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, the middle-order batsman smashed 530 runs at an average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 113.24 with a highest score of 128* vs Netherlands.
Also Read: 'We need to do our best for Virat Kohli', says RCB's Patidar ahead of crucial IPL final against PBKS
He returned to India’s ODI side during the England series and carried that momentum into the ICC Champions Trophy, where he became India’s top scorer with 243 runs in five matches, including two half-centuries.
In 2025, Iyer has featured in eight ODIs, scoring 424 runs at an average of 53.00, with four fifties.
His form continued in the IPL, Iyer has contributed over 600 runs, including six fifties and highest score of 97 not out.
'Rookie' Rajat enters the big club
M Chinnaswamy Stadium and the chants of “RCB! RCB!” go hand in hand even the Kohli-featuring team is not playing. Same was the case on December 15 last year during the SMAT final. Even though RCB weren’t playing, the chants echoed and it was Madhya Pradesh’s Rajat Patidar, who was the lone RCB link, and his unbeaten 81 off 40 balls was the highlight of their innings.
But it was Shreyas Iyer’s Mumbai side that took home the trophy, winning by five wickets.
Fast forward five months, and the stage is bigger, the stakes higher. On the eve of the IPL 2025 final, Patidar and Iyer sat on either side of the coveted trophy- both chasing a maiden title for their franchises, RCB and Punjab Kings respectively. But while they share that goal, their journeys couldn’t be more different.
If Iyer is building a legacy, Rajat Patidar is just beginning to write his story, one no one quite saw coming. And if fate owes someone redemption, it might be Iyer. But if it’s time for someone new to be embraced by destiny, it could well be Rookie Rajat.
While Iyer has clawed his way back to the top with performances and poise, Patidar’s rise has been quiet, steady, and unexpected. Just months ago, he hadn’t captained a senior side at any level. Now, he finds himself leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a team that has forever carried the weight of unmet expectations, into an IPL final.
Patidar doesn’t command the limelight. He doesn’t walk into press conferences with swagger or rally his troops with grand speeches. But what he does bring is calm, a kind of understated leadership that has surprisingly clicked with RCB this season, alongside his fearless deputy Jitesh Sharma. Even with the bat, Patidar has walked in at crucial moments and managed to finish the match for the Royal Challengers, having scored 286 runs this year.
Where Iyer leads with experience and intent, Patidar leads with clarity and instinct. One is fighting to cement his place in history. The other, perhaps unknowingly, is shaping a fresh chapter in RCB’s long and turbulent tale.
Then there’s Shreyas Iyer: A captain who’s done almost everything right. He’s led with composure, delivered under pressure, and lifted titles at every possible level. Yet, the recognition rarely matches the results. And even fate can't be blamed now.
Tonight, he meets Rajat Patidar from RCB, and both the skippers are ready to walk towards that unconquered throne for Punjab and Bengaluru- the IPL trophy.
Iyer created history
Iyer has taken a team, which were not even close to being called underdogs and have survived 18 years in the cash-rich league with the tag of 'chokers', into the finals, finally.
Also Read: IPL final fight- $12 billion Indian Premier League glitz set to end season after creating history
Iyer is closer to achieve a feat no one has done. It is to win an IPL title with two different teams. Having led KKR to the title last season, and the 30-year-old batsman has the chance to create history if PBKS lift their maiden trophy under his captaincy. A 25-year-old Iyer, back in 2020, had also taken Delhi Capitals to their maiden finals, falling just short to Mumbai Indians from that coveted trophy.
2023-24 was a year marked with setbacks for the Mumbai lad. However, he rose and only rose after he was dropped by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from their central contract list.
Iyer responded with his performances on the field, starting with domestic tournaments. He played a key role in Mumbai’s successful season, winning the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).
Iyer also led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to an IPL title in 2024, showcasing his leadership skills alongside dependable middle-order contributions. These efforts revived his place in the national team setup. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, the middle-order batsman smashed 530 runs at an average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 113.24 with a highest score of 128* vs Netherlands.
Also Read: 'We need to do our best for Virat Kohli', says RCB's Patidar ahead of crucial IPL final against PBKS
He returned to India’s ODI side during the England series and carried that momentum into the ICC Champions Trophy, where he became India’s top scorer with 243 runs in five matches, including two half-centuries.
In 2025, Iyer has featured in eight ODIs, scoring 424 runs at an average of 53.00, with four fifties.
His form continued in the IPL, Iyer has contributed over 600 runs, including six fifties and highest score of 97 not out.
'Rookie' Rajat enters the big club
M Chinnaswamy Stadium and the chants of “RCB! RCB!” go hand in hand even the Kohli-featuring team is not playing. Same was the case on December 15 last year during the SMAT final. Even though RCB weren’t playing, the chants echoed and it was Madhya Pradesh’s Rajat Patidar, who was the lone RCB link, and his unbeaten 81 off 40 balls was the highlight of their innings.
But it was Shreyas Iyer’s Mumbai side that took home the trophy, winning by five wickets.
Fast forward five months, and the stage is bigger, the stakes higher. On the eve of the IPL 2025 final, Patidar and Iyer sat on either side of the coveted trophy- both chasing a maiden title for their franchises, RCB and Punjab Kings respectively. But while they share that goal, their journeys couldn’t be more different.
If Iyer is building a legacy, Rajat Patidar is just beginning to write his story, one no one quite saw coming. And if fate owes someone redemption, it might be Iyer. But if it’s time for someone new to be embraced by destiny, it could well be Rookie Rajat.
While Iyer has clawed his way back to the top with performances and poise, Patidar’s rise has been quiet, steady, and unexpected. Just months ago, he hadn’t captained a senior side at any level. Now, he finds himself leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a team that has forever carried the weight of unmet expectations, into an IPL final.
Patidar doesn’t command the limelight. He doesn’t walk into press conferences with swagger or rally his troops with grand speeches. But what he does bring is calm, a kind of understated leadership that has surprisingly clicked with RCB this season, alongside his fearless deputy Jitesh Sharma. Even with the bat, Patidar has walked in at crucial moments and managed to finish the match for the Royal Challengers, having scored 286 runs this year.
Where Iyer leads with experience and intent, Patidar leads with clarity and instinct. One is fighting to cement his place in history. The other, perhaps unknowingly, is shaping a fresh chapter in RCB’s long and turbulent tale.
You may also like
Wicked: For Good trailer drops and fans have the exact same reaction
'I woke up one day feeling strange, then I didn't leave the house for six years'
Amit Sadh reveals why World Environment Day holds 'deep personal' meaning for him
Owners turn to 'game-changing' 89p-a-day pet food deliveries to improve dog health
Russian strike kills 5, including 1 year old, hours after Trump calls Putin
