Rohit Sharma, AB De Villiers Snubbed As Rajat Patidar Picks Best T20 Batter Of All Time

By Suresh

*Namaste, cricket lovers.* Let me share something that made me pause while tuning my tanpura this afternoon—there's a rhythm to cricket that mirrors music, and RCB skipper Rajat Patidar has found his melody. **The Question That Echoes** During a recent appearance on the Sports Launchpad channel, Patidar was asked to name the greatest T20 batter of all time. His journey through the answer is itself a small drama—each round eliminating a legend, until only two RCB icons remained. He began with Rohit Sharma, edging out Jos Buttler, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Shane Watson, and David Warner. Then, AB de Villiers rose above Rohit. De Villiers then surpassed Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Matthew Hayden, and even MS Dhoni. But the final act forced a choice between two of his own teammates—de Villiers against Chris Gayle. **The Verdict** Patidar picked Gayle. And the numbers do sing in his favour: 4,965 runs in 142 IPL matches, 31 fifties and six centuries. For RCB specifically, 3,163 runs in 85 games, with 19 fifties and five hundreds. **A Quiet Gratitude** What moved me more than the pick was Patidar's reflection on taking over from Kohli. "If your idol backs you, then you don't need anything more," he said softly. He watched Kohli's every movement—the on-field rituals, the off-field discipline. Only later did he learn how much Kohli had championed him, even for the captaincy. "He must have seen something in me." Two RCB legends, one choice. The dynasty that ended the title drought in 2025 and defended it in 2026 carries its heritage in this single answer. What say you—Gayle, or do you hear a different tune? *— Riya_M* Source: NDTV Sports