Head coach Andy Flower paid “tremendous respect” to Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar after the team ended an 18-year wait for the coveted Indian Premier League trophy on Tuesday, June 3. Appointed captain of the popular franchise despite only four international appearances for India, the Madhya Pradesh cricketer took RCB to their maiden crown by defeating the Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad. Flower said Patidar didn't allow his lack of experience to impact his “tricky job” of leading an RCB side with a mix of youth and experience. The Zimbabwean saluted how well Patidar's calmness and maturity shone through in high-pressure moments, inspiring an aggressive brand of cricket that saw RCB pack a collective punch and finally claim the prized silverware. ALSO READ | Rajat Patidar Creates History, Becomes 1st RCB Captain To Win IPL Title “One of the most impressive things about what Rajat has done this year is, as an inexperienced captain, that he hasn't been affected by it,” Flower said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “I don't think it has affected his batting because I've watched him closely as a character, and he is still the lovely, gentle, polite Rajat Patidar that we knew last year. He hasn't changed at all in that regard.” “Captaining RCB is a tricky job. If I cast my mind back to how poorly I captained when I was his age, I've got tremendous respect for how he's held himself with all that scrutiny and captained some big players. You can't underestimate the calmness he showed in leading some huge players, a really big franchise, making good decisions out there in the middle under the pressure that RCB players play under. So I've got tons of respect for him. I'm proud of the way that he's carried himself, and he's been crucial to us doing well.” Patidar also played his part in the batting department. While most of the accolades were reserved for RCB's top scorers – Virat Kohli and Phil Salt with 657 and 403 runs, respectively, the captain's critical cameos alongside other vital middle-order contributors throughout the season propelled RCB to above-par scores. He finished with 312 runs at a strike rate of 143.77. Patidar also showed his temperament during the campaign, overcoming late injury concerns to guide RCB past the strenuous playoffs stage.