While talking at the Unbox event in Bengaluru on March 17, 2025, in front of thousands of ardent RCB fans present at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli introduced new captain Rajat Patidar. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star Virat Kohli urged the die-hard RCB fans to give full support and love to Rajat Patidar.

Patidar has played 27 IPL matches for RCB in three seasons and, with the help of one century and seven half-centuries, has scored 799 runs. He played 15 matches in IPL 2024 and scored 395 runs with a strike rate of 177.13.

Patidar was one of the three players RCB had retained along with Virat Kohli and Yash Dayal before the IPL 2025 mega auction and after much deliberation, the MP cricketer was made the skipper of the franchise.

“The guy who is going to come next is the guy who’s going to lead you for a long time. So, give him all the love you can. He’s an amazing talent; he’s a great player; we have all seen that. He has got a great head on his shoulders, and he will do a great job for this amazing franchise and take the team forward. He has got everything that’s required,” Kohli said at the RCB Unbox event.

Patidar, who made his IPL debut in 2021 and struck a century in the IPL 2022 eliminator match against the Lucknow Super Giants, was retained for Rs 14 crore.

Patidar, who guided Madhya Pradesh to second place in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2024, will make his IPL captaincy debut on Saturday (March 22). In the first match of the IPL 2025, RCB will meet the reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.