Rajat Patidar has been appointed RCB's new captain for the IPL 2025 season.
Following the release of Faf du Plessis, RCB didn't buy anyone with leadership abilities in the mega auction last November. It was speculated that one between Virat Kohli and Patidar would be given the charge.
Kohli had led RCB from 2013 to 2021. The high point of his captaincy came in 2016, when they finished runners-up to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
On the other hand, Patidar, who was one of the three players retained by RCB for IPL 2025, captained Madhya Pradesh in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier in the season.
As it turned out, RCB handed the captaincy responsibilities to Patidar, under whom Madhya Pradesh reached the final of the SMAT (domestic T20 tournament).
Speaking on his YouTube channel Cheeky Cheeka, former India opener Kris Srikkanth suggested that Kohli may have personally opted against reclaiming the RCB captaincy, prioritising his batting.
"I think Virat would have said no to the captaincy. He would have said 'I want to focus on batting'. I think all this must have happened in consultation with Virat Kohli," Srikkanth said.
"Rajat Patidar is a good choice. He has been doing well in the IPL. The good things is he will not have a lot of expectations. When we appointed Dhoni in 2007 as the T20 World Cup captain, not a lot was expected of him and the team. It's a bit like that...Expectations from Rajat Patidar as a captain are not high. He will take his own calls. He will consult Virat Kohli, who will be a guiding force," he added.
Earlier, Virat Kohli himself congratulated Rajat Patidar for being appointed the new RCB captain. He also stated that Patidar's achievements as the MP captain have demonstrated his ability to lead a team effectively.
"Rajat, firstly, I want to congratulate you, wish you all the very best, and tell you that the way you have grown in this franchise and the way you have performed, you have really made a place in the hearts of all the fans of RCB all over India, and they get really excited to watch you play,” Kohli said in a video posted on RCB socials.
"So, this is very well deserved. And I want to tell you that I and the other team members will be right behind you, and you'll have all our support to grow into this role. Of course, it's a big responsibility. I've done this for many years, and Faf's done it for the last few years and to be seen as the guy who will take this franchise forward. I'm sure it's a huge honor for you, and I'm very, very happy for you. You have earned the right to be in this position, and I'm sure you will grow from strength to strength,” he remarked.
RCB full squad for IPL 2025: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee