Rajat Patidar had a nightmarish Test series against England earlier this year. With only 63 runs in three Tests, he was dropped for the final match in Dharamsala.

The start to his IPL campaign also began on a shaky note as Royal Challengers Bengaluru's wobbly middle-order was held responsible for their early struggles.

He had got the big break on the back of an enviable domestic record but his performance in Tests was hardly inspiring. Regarded as one of the better players of spin, Patidar struggled against the likes of Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed.

An unbeaten 112 off just 54 deliveries against the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL Eliminator at Eden Gardens in 2022 had brought him into prominence, but he failed to transform that spark at the start of this edition — 109 runs in six innings.

The turnaround began against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede, though his 50 off 26 balls wasn't enough to earn them a victory. He then slammed a superb 52 off 23 deliveries in a stiff run-chase against KKR at Eden Gardens. RCB nearly pulled it off before losing by a solitary run.

That performance provided the required boost to RCB's fortunes. Batting at No.4, Patidar showed his strength and it helped them gain the much-needed momentum in their batting order.

Patidar has smashed five half-centuries in their last eight matches, at No.4, and has been instrumental in RCB's five-match winning streak. This golden run has kept them in the reckoning for a playoffs berth. In the last five outings, Patidar has been phenomenal — 211 runs at a strike-rate of 208.9.

Patidar, 30, had been sidelined by an injury last season but his late spark in IPL 2024 has provided the fillip to his dwindling career.

A significant feature of his batting has been his ability to hit sixes against the spinners — his 20 sixes against spinners is the joint-most in IPL 2024 with Abhishek Sharma at a strike-rate of 224.69.

He has also been the most prolific six-hitter in the middle-overs (7 to 15) — 26 — which is much more than second-placed Riyan Parag's 20.

His success against the spinners has been the most entertaining part. "For me, it's important to pick from the hands, that's my main strength," he said.

RCB had lost their most destructive batter against spin, Glenn Maxwell, to a dip in form and Patidar strode into his shoes and delivered in style.

But their biggest test could be against CSK in Bangalore on Saturday, a match which could potentially decide the fortunes of the two franchises. A lot will depend on how Patidar fares against the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana.