Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be without regular captain Rajat Patidar for their crucial IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on Sunday, with wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma set to lead the side. The latest IPL update comes ahead of a rematch of the 2025 IPL final, where RCB defeated PBKS to lift their maiden title.

According to IANS sources, Patidar did not travel with the squad to Dharamsala and also missed both practice sessions before the game at the HPCA Stadium. He is, however, expected to return for RCB’s final league-stage fixture in Hyderabad.

Patidar has been one of RCB’s key performers in IPL 2026, scoring 326 runs in 10 innings at an impressive strike rate of 195. The batter has already registered three half-centuries this season and his absence leaves a major gap in the middle order at a crucial stage of the tournament.

RCB currently sit at the top of the IPL 2026 points table and a victory over PBKS would officially seal their playoff berth. The Bengaluru-based side heads into the contest after back-to-back wins and will once again rely heavily on senior batter Virat Kohli at the top.

The franchise will also continue to miss England opener Phil Salt, who is yet to recover fully from a finger injury. Youngster Jacob Bethell is expected to continue opening alongside Kohli.

Jitesh is not new to leadership duties at RCB. He captained the side briefly during IPL 2025 when Patidar was used as an Impact Substitute in a key playoff clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

However, the latest development puts extra focus on Jitesh’s own form with the bat. The wicketkeeper-batter has endured a difficult IPL 2026 campaign so far, managing just 90 runs in 10 innings. Pacers have dismissed him eight times this season, making this phase one of his toughest since making his IPL debut in 2022.

With IANS inputs