Rajat Patidar
Rajat Patidar (Credits: Twitter)

Rajat Patidar, on Saturday (March 26), pretty much quashed the recent reports surrounding his fitness as he joined Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).

A recent report from ESPNcricinfo suggested that the batsman was at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and was undergoing rehab for a heel injury. The RCB batsman had reportedly picked up the injury prior to joining the franchise’s camp.

The report added that the Rajat Patidar had been advised rest for the next three weeks before an MRI scan will determine his participation in the second half of the competition. It also stated that he would need a clearance from the NCA before joining RCB for IPL 2023.

Rajat Patidar
Rajat Patidar (Credits: Twitter)

The batsman, however, ended all the speculations surrounding his fitness on Saturday by joining the franchises ahead of IPL 2023. The official Twitter handle of the franchise posted a photo of the batsman and welcomed him to the camp, tweeting:

Rajat Patidar eyes another impressive IPL:

Rajat Patidar will be keen to build on the stunning performances he delivered last year in IPL as well as in domestic cricket. The right-handed batsman was one of the finds of IPL last year. He had initially gone unsold at the auction for IPL 2022 before RCB signed him as a replacement and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

He became the first uncapped Indian to hit a century in a playoff game when he achieved the feat against Lucknow Super Giants. It was followed by a fine fifty in the second Qualifier against Rajasthan Royals. The middle-order batsman finished his second IPL season with 333 runs at a strike rate of 152.75. Few days later, he helped MP win their maiden Ranji title and then went on to earn his maiden call-up from the Indian team.

Also Read: “He Has Performed Really Well” – Shikhar Dhawan Backs Suryakumar Yadav For Test Cricket