Kohli has given a lot of years to RCB, we need to do our best for him: Rajat Patidar
Ahmedabad (PTI): Virat Kohli has given 18 years of his senior cricket career to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and their first-time skipper Rajat Patidar understands what it would mean for the team to win the coveted Indian Premier League title for one of country's bonafide cricket legends.
In all, RCB have played a total of three finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016 and have ended up on the losing side in each of the summit clashes with Kohli’s individual brilliance not being enough for them to end their title drought.
“Of course. I think he has given a lot of years to RCB and the international side also. We will try to do our best in the game,” Patidar told media here during his pre-match press conference alongside PBKS’ Shreyas Iyer when asked if the Kohli factor would dominate the build-up.
When asked if focus on one player alone was frustrating given RCB have been one of the most dominant sides in this competition, Patidar replied, “I think it is not frustrating for me. We are not looking on the stage that we are in the finals. We will try to play our best cricket. We are not playing here for the stage. I always like to keep things simple”.
The Kohli factor has certainly weighed heavily on RCB drawing strong crowd support even while playing away from home and Patidar said that gives them feeling of being on their home ground.
“Wherever we go, we feel that the crowd is a home ground for us and (given ) the way they are showing support and love from the (last many) years,” he said.
RCB, however, will be concerned over the availability of big-hitting Tim David, who has not featured in their last two matches so far owing to a hamstring injury.
“Till now, I have no idea about Tim David. Doctors are there and we will get to know this evening,” he said.
For Patidar himself, it will be a big challenge given he was appointed RCB’s captain only before the start of the tournament, while the leader in the opposition camp, Shreyas Iyer won the IPL with his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders last year.
Iyer is also the only captain in IPL history to have led three different teams — Delhi Capitals, KKR and now Punjab Kings — into IPL finals.
Patidar said for him it would be essential to create a good environment for his players.
“Till now, I have enjoyed a lot to be honest. For me, I think it is a great opportunity to learn from the great leaders of the game, (some) great players, great foreign players of the game. It is a great opportunity for me to learn from them and their different ideas, which is helping me a lot in my leadership role,” he said.
“I have always tried to create a good environment off the field as much as I can so that every player, whether it is a domestic player or an international player, they both feel the same. They should feel relaxed and confident. I think this is my first point,” Patidar added.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
