Strong talks that cricket superstar Virat Kohli will return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2025 as captain of Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB). But we can finally shut this talk down as RCB has announced that Rajar Patidar will lead the team this year.
The 31-year-old has been with RCB since 2021 and has been with them since his IPL debut. He was signed by the franchise for ₹20 lakh, and now, he will replace Faf du Plessis (now with Delhi Capitals) as captain.
RCB head coach Andy Flower spoke nicely about Patidar’s qualifications for being captain of one of India’s favourite IPL teams. He said, “I think that quality within him will be crucial for him through the inevitable ups and downs that should come with playing in the IPL and stepping up another gear and leading a big franchise in the IPL.
“I think those qualities are going to stand Rajat in good stead. We recognise them, we will celebrate them, and I look forward to watching him in action.”
But who is Rajat Patidar, and what should fans know about him? Will he be able to lead RCB to the final and get the elusive title?
Patidar’s Cricket Career
Rajat Patidar debuted in professional cricket with Madhya Pradesh in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy. This was where he quickly established himself as a reliable middle-order batsman. He scored consistently in both first-class and List-A cricket.
He stood out during the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season, scoring an impressive double-century in a match against Tamil Nadu. He has also had notable performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.
He got RCB’s attention in his 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy performance. Patidar was the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, amassing 428 runs at an impressive strike rate of 186.08. During the semi-final against Delhi, he scored a match-winning 66* off just 29 balls, which led Madhya Pradesh to victory.
RCB signed him that same year, but he got limited opportunities to showcase his talent when he landed on the IPL field. It was the following year that he had his breakthrough moment. An example was this high-stakes match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where he scored an unbeaten 112 off just 54 balls. His innings included 12 fours and seven sixes.
Over the next few seasons, Rajat continued to be a vital cog in RCB’s lineup. He’s become one of the team’s key players.
Patidar Announced as Captain
RCB seems to have decided which of their players will head the team, as they’re one of the last ones to make this announcement. This was most-awaited because, besides fans, people in the industry have been so sure that Virat Kohli will be captain again. This made sense because he felt most qualified as he’d captained RCB for nine consecutive years before du Plessis.
There were mixed reactions when the announcement came out, especially on social media. Fans are ready to take advantage of the best IPL betting app here to predict that Patidar will lead RCB to the final; others are sceptical about this decision. This is understandable because RCB has never won a trophy, and fans have expected them to do so for so long.
However, the squad firmly believes that a new team needs fresh captaincy. Mo Mobat, RCB’s director, spoke about that and said that he felt blessed to have many options. He even said they considered Kohli but eventually realised he didn’t need a captaincy to lead the title. He said that it made sense to choose Patidar because of his focus and calmness.
Virat shared the same positive sentiments about Patidar. He even urged fans to back Patidar as he knows he’ll do his best for the team.
Kohli said, “I would request all the fans to show him absolute support. Get right behind him. And know that he will always and always do what’s best for the team… what’s best for this franchise. We must all get together and support him. Regardless of what happens, the most important thing is the team.
“Sending my best wishes to him and sending all the fans lots of love. Looking forward to seeing you all soon and having Rajat start the season with a bang.”
Conclusion
It will be interesting to see how Patidar will fare as RCB’s new captain, but as Kohli said, fans can look forward to them starting the season with a bang. The IPL TATA 2025 will begin on March 22, 2025, with the final scheduled on May 25. You can watch all the matches on JioStar and Star Sports. Streaming will be available on Disney+ Hotstar.
