Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are yet to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) title despite having some of the best T20 cricketers in their ranks over the years.
RCB came to close to clinching the coveted trophy in 2009, 2011 and 2016, but they lost the final on all three occasions. Rajat Patidar has a solid shot at leading RCB to glory this season and only needs one win to seal a berth in the playoffs.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 resumption, however, Patidar dismissed the possibility of becoming the first RCB skipper to win any title.
Speaking to Mayanti Langer in a podcast for the club, Patidar mentioned that the first RCB skipper to win a trophy would be Smriti Mandhana, the captain of the women's team when they beat Delhi Capitals in the WPL final in 2024.
"We have one trophy. The women's team has won it. It's a big inspiration for us. We have one trophy. No one can say that we don't have a trophy," said Patidar.
While Rajat Patidar acknowledged that the expectations and pressure on him are high, he sees it as an opportunity to flourish.
As things stand, RCB occupy second spot on the IPL 2025 points table. The tournament resumes on May 17, and RCB will get proceedings underway with their 12th game of the league stage against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
After facing KKR, RCB will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants in their last two league fixtures.
