The 2025 IPL winning captain, Raat Patidar, is doubtful about his participation in the 2026 Indian Premier League. Rajat was recently with the India A team playing against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. As per reports, Rajat suffered from a serious injury during the first unofficial Test against South Africa A. Even though the nature of the injury is not clarified, reports have claimed that it will rule out Rajat Patidar for four months. He played the first four-day unofficial Test match at the BCCI CoE; however, he could not contribute much. He scored 19 off 35 balls in the first innings and added 28 runs off 87 balls in the second. Later he was not considered for the second unofficial Test. Keeping in mind the time he might require to be fit, Rajat might be able to play the IPL 2026. The 2026 Indian Premier League will start in March 2026, which is exactly 5 months from now. Depending on the seriousness, his availability will be decided. If he doesn't go fit and take more than the stipulated 4 months, he might either miss a part or be ruled out from the season totally. Read also: First batch of cricketers arrive in Kolkata for IndvsSA first Test; who are they? Rajat Patidar injury case history Patidar’s journey has been frequently interrupted by injuries. In 2023, an Achilles injury forced him to sit out the entire season. Even in the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings, he played while nursing a finger injury and required treatment shortly after. Yet, it was his entry into the RCB squad as an injury replacement that ultimately paved the way for his legendary status — becoming the first captain to lead the franchise to IPL success. Should Patidar miss any games in the 2026 season, RCB is expected to turn to wicketkeeper-batter and vice-captain Jitesh Sharma. Last season, Jitesh performed admirably in matches where Patidar was unavailable. Meanwhile, former captain Virat Kohli, having stepped down from leadership a few years ago, has stayed away from any managerial or captaincy roles.