Rajat Patidar has been appointed as the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), starting on March 21. This decision came as a surprise to many who expected Virat Kohli to return as captain after the team parted ways with Faf du Plessis, their skipper from 2022 to 2024.
RCB announced the news at an event in Bengaluru, attended by team director Mo Bobat, head coach Andy Flower, and Patidar himself. The 31-year-old batsman has been with RCB since 2021 and has played a key role in their batting lineup, scoring 799 runs in 28 matches at a striking rate of 158.85.
Coach Andy Flower praised Patidar’s leadership qualities, saying, “He has a calm and composed nature, which will help him in a high-pressure tournament like the IPL. He may not be very outspoken, but he deeply cares for his teammates, which is an important quality for a leader.”
Team director Mo Bobat confirmed that Virat Kohli was considered for the captaincy but explained why Patidar was ultimately chosen.
“Both Virat and Rajat were strong options,” Bobat said. “We wanted an Indian captain, as this is an Indian league. Virat leads naturally, with or without the captaincy title. Even last year, he played a key leadership role alongside Faf.”
Bobat added that discussions with RCB’s coaching staff and players, including Dinesh Karthik and Kohli himself, helped confirm Patidar as the right choice.
“We noticed how eager Rajat was to take on a leadership role. Watching him captain Madhya Pradesh in domestic tournaments was a positive sign. We also consulted Virat, and all signs pointed to Rajat being a great choice,” Bobat said.
Patidar, one of three players retained by RCB ahead of the 2024 mega auction, recently led Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Those experiences were his first full-time leadership roles in domestic cricket.
Speaking about his appointment, Patidar shared his excitement. “I spoke with Mo last year and told him I wanted to gain captaincy experience with my state team before leading RCB. When they told me the choice was between Virat and me, I was thrilled. I can’t express how happy I am.”
