When injury rules an athlete out of playing top-flight sport, depressing thoughts might cross the mind — Why only me? Why now? Rajat Patidar, the middle-order bat from Madhya Pradesh, would have had similar thoughts after he was laid low by a career-threatening Achilles heel injury. He had to undergo surgery in May for that.
The swashbuckling batter had just made it to the Indian limited-over side on the back of some noteworthy performances in IPL 2022. Moreover, he had averaged over 50 in first-class cricket over two seasons. In the 2022 Ranji Trophy final against Mumbai, he had compiled a hundred, which turned out to be one of the cornerstones of MP’s famous win. Fate, though, had something else in store for him.
“This injury was from the past three years. I played two years with it in the IPL,” Patidar told RevSportz. “It was getting worse. The pain was unbearable. I decided that I had to go for surgery. I took this call because I can’t afford further damage. There was a chance of rupturing the tendon.
“After six months, I started playing matches. Right now, I have to play to get the heel adapted to the ground conditions. The pain is still there, but the surgeon advised me to play matches, so that the tendon gets adapted to the ground conditions. It could take a bit of time to settle down.”
Despite facing some discomfort, Patidar has accrued forty-plus scores over four domestic games in a row. It just gives a peek into his mindset. Adversity seems to bring the best out of him. To excavate more evidence of Patidar’s mental toughness, spool back in time to IPL 2021, when he had to steer through another tough phase while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
During the first leg of the tournament, Patidar ended up playing on some tricky decks, where hitting through the line wasn’t easy. When the tournament resumed after a brief break, the RCB think-tank decided to look beyond Patidar. He wasn’t picked in the subsequent auction either. He returned to the RCB franchise only as a replacement for the injured Luvnith Sisodia. Even then he wasn’t guaranteed a spot in the side.
Eventually RCB picked Patidar against Rajasthan Royals. In their very next match, Patidar crunched a fifty and he hasn’t looked back since. The highlight of his IPL campaign was the game-changing hundred against Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator.
“I played four matches in Chennai. I did decently, because the pitches in Chennai were suited for low-scoring matches. (Next) half of the IPL was in Dubai, there I have not got a chance. After that they told me they would pick me in the auction, then they didn’t. Obviously, I felt bad about it. But it is okay, you can’t change things which aren’t in your hands. I felt I could score and come back because I have self-belief. After that, I was called back into RCB as a replacement. When I have gone there, on the first day, the coach told me, ‘it is difficult to give you a chance, because you’re a back-up player. If anybody gets injured, then only you can have a chance’. They have given me a clear message.
“I was like I’m here to play and not here to sit or something like that. At that time, I felt bad. For one or two days, I didn’t take my kitbag to the ground, I was just doing my running, because on the first day you’re saying like you won’t be given a chance over here. Then I said, ‘I’m here, I have to do something’. So, I started batting. The whole scenario changed. After seven matches, they wanted me to play, as they didn’t have any back-up player in the top order. From there I started and scored for the team and felt very good,” he pointed out.
In the Qualifier 2 game versus RR, Patidar stamped his authority further by essaying a punch or two off the back foot of Prasidh Krishna. Just zoom those shots a little more and one can observe Patidar’s expertise in riding the bounce while facing a tall, hit-the-deck bowler. He has this to say about his prowess against pace bowling. “I rely more on timing. I’m not a hard-hitter. I want the ball to come on to the bat. I always like to play cricketing shots. So, I like facing fast bowling.”
Patidar appeared a bit coy about his ability to take on hard lengths with aplomb. Chandrakant Pandit, his coach at Madhya Pradesh, however, once had explained to this writer about his protege’s gift-wrapped skills. “The quality player picks up the line and length very quickly, it is like you know he has that extra time than other players.
“I don’t want to compare him with anyone but if I have to take a name, Rohit Sharma has extra time with his batting. You can talk about Virat, Sachin Tendulkar, they had that little bit of extra time to pick the line and length. Rajat does too. To play the shot through the covers off the back foot, not everyone can manage it at that pace,” Pandit had noted.
Patidar also has fine records across formats in domestic cricket. But is there a part of his game that needs some polishing? Perhaps he could work on improving his concentration or mental side of things? Incidentally, there is a feeling that Patidar is prone to soft dismissals.
When the question about the perception surrounding his lack of concentration cropped up, Patidar replied to it with a simple answer. “I haven’t done any specific thing to improve my concentration. I have just changed my mindset. Whatever the situation, give your 100 per cent. After that, whatever the result comes, it is fine, I can’t change it.”
Remarkably, for someone who has gained a reputation for his ball-striking skills, Patidar had begun his career by trying his hand at spin bowling. Although an anecdote from the talented cricketer helps us to envisage his potential with a willow in hand. “I was the first person in my family who came into sports. I’m fortunate that my family has supported me, especially my father and grandfather.
“Early morning, my father and grandfather used to feed me with the ball, and I used to hit before going to school. When waiting for the bus, for 10 to 15 minutes I used to play. From there I started. I joined clubs. I started out as a bowler, an off-spinner. And then I became a batsman.”
Over the years, his hidden skill has blossomed considerably. And despite the Achilles injury acting as a stumbling block, Patidar would have the confidence of breaking open the Indian selection door and finding a place in the playing XI. How about Patidar stitching a game-breaking stand with his idol, Virat Kohli? On his part, Patidar has unwavering belief that his dreams would eventually come true.