India, June 1 -- Rajat Patidar's IPL 2026 was not simply a batting season. It was a franchise-control season.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru did not merely extract 501 runs from their captain. They extracted middle-order acceleration, tactical authority, playoff composure, and one of the most efficient auction returns the tournament produced. At a season cost of Rs.11 crore, Patidar generated a modelled value of Rs.49.34 crore, resulting in a total profit of Rs.38.34 crore. No player in the tournament's monetary profit-loss ledger finished above him.

What makes that number arresting is the structure beneath it. His player-performance value stood at Rs.21.28 crore, yielding a profit of Rs.13.03 crore. His captaincy value surpassed even that...