Madhya Pradesh and Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar has finally been cleared by the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) to make his comeback to competitive cricket. According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Patidar has recovered from his knee injury and is ready to join the Madhya Pradesh squad for the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025. Patidar picked up the injury while playing against Punjab in the first round of the Ranji Trophy earlier this season. The right-hander underwent a 10-day rehabilitation programme under the CoE medical team. After undergoing all necessary tests, he received the “return to play” clearance and will join the Madhya Pradesh squad in Kolkata on Friday.His team’s next match is against Uttar Pradesh on November 30 in the third round of the tournament. Patidar's Return a Big Boost for Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh did not start the SMAT 2025 campaign on a very good note. They lost their opening encounter against Hyderabad, as they got bowled out for just 144 runs. Not a single pair in the batting lineup could show any reasonable partnership, and the absence of their captain seemed very evident. With Patidar returning, the team will gain stability in the middle order.His presence brings confidence as he is one of the most important batters of Madhya Pradesh. At the beginning of this season, Patidar smashed an unbeaten 205 runs against Punjab in the Ranji Trophy opener, and that shows the kind of form he was in prior to the injury. His comeback will be closely monitored by fans, especially the RCB ones, since Patidar is set to lead the franchise in the upcoming IPL season as well. His form in domestic cricket will play a major role in how RCB gears up for the next edition of the league. Also Read | What happened to Rajat Patidar? 2026 IPL captaincy looms for RCB captain Eyes on Patidar as SMAT 2025 Progresses Patidar will also be eager for an immediate impact with the bat. Madhya Pradesh came close to winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last season, falling at the final hurdle against Mumbai. Patidar had a fantastic tournament, ending up as the second-highest scorer with 428 runs off 186 balls at 186.08. But it was ultimately that explosive batting that took the team deep into the run. This time, Patidar intends to carry Madhya Pradesh further along and win the title for them, as he is one of the most experienced players in the squad. The batting unit is getting stronger with added leadership required for the team that is still recovering from a slow start. There are some very tough games to come, and Patidar's form and fitness will also be vital for Madhya Pradesh to revive their SMAT2025 campaign and aspire towards a better finish.