RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat has revealed the reasoning why the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise chose Rajat Patidar as their captain for IPL 2025, despite Virat Kohli being ready to take over the leadership role.
RCB finally ended their 18-year wait for an RCB trophy when they defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final to win their maiden IPL title. Rajat Patidar became the third captain after Shane Warne and Hardik Pandya to win the IPL title in his first season as franchise captain.
Virat Kohli was overcome with emotion as he finally lifted the prize that had eluded him for so long. Mo Bobat, RCB's director of cricket, indicated that there were negotiations with Kohli about the captaincy following the 2024 season, and he was ready to take over again.
RCB had decided to part ways with Faf du Plessis, who had led them from 2021 to 2024, after Virat Kohli had led them from 2013 to 2021.
“Andy and I met him in London not long after the 2024 season and talked about that. He's always ready to step forward and lead. He doesn't need a second invitation,” Bobat said on the RCB podcast.
Instead of going back to Virat Kohli, RCB gambled by picking Rajat Patidar as their new captain, and it paid off well as RCB won their first IPL title.
Referring to Virat Kohli's tremendous presence, Bobat emphasized that, while turning to the previous captain may have been the simplest choice, the franchise had resolved not to delay the unavoidable transition.
He explained that the choice was made keeping the future of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in mind, indicating a shift towards long-term leadership rather than reliance on individuals.
“But we spoke about how this decision is not just about us three as people. It's about RCB more broadly as a franchise. Its leadership may be even beyond us. The easy thing would have been to say, 'Virat, do you mind filling in and doing captaincy?' But then you're just kicking a decision down the road. At some point, we can't be dependent on Virat all the time. Virat's a bright guy. He got it really quickly. He said, 'Let's think about some of these other individuals. But if you need someone, then obviously I can do it,” he added.
RCB will be eager to defend their title when the IPL 2026 season begins on March 28.
