Rajat Patidar has been officially appointed as the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. This announcement was made on Thursday by Mo Bobat, the Director of Cricket, alongside head coach Andy Flower. Following the departure of Faf du Plessis, who captained the team for the last three seasons, RCB initiated a search for a new leader. Although there were speculations regarding Virat Kohli potentially resuming the captaincy, the management ultimately decided to place their trust in Patidar.

Patidar expressed his enthusiasm about the opportunity to learn from Kohli, stating, "I believe this is a tremendous chance for me to gain insights from one of cricket's finest. His vast experience will be invaluable in my leadership journey. Having partnered with him extensively, I am well-acquainted with his approach. His ideas and experience will undoubtedly assist me in my role as captain."

Last year, Patidar made his international debut for India during the home series against England; however, after a series of low scores, he was subsequently dropped from the team. His true prowess, however, is evident in T20 cricket. Recently, he captained Madhya Pradesh to the finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where they were narrowly defeated by a Mumbai team led by Shreyas Iyer. The right-handed batsman has demonstrated exceptional form, particularly against spin bowlers.

Patidar, one of the three players retained by RCB, initially joined the franchise in IPL 2021, where he participated in only four matches, accumulating 71 runs. He returned to RCB in 2022 as a replacement for the injured Luvnith Sisodia, for a fee of INR 20 lakh, and scored 333 runs, including a remarkable unbeaten 112 in the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Unfortunately, he missed the 2023 season due to injury. In the previous season, Patidar recorded 395 runs at an average of 30.38 and a strike rate of 177.13.

"I am focused on the future and not dwelling on the past. As I mentioned earlier, we have numerous experienced players and leaders, which I believe will significantly aid my development as we progress," Patidar remarked.

Rajat Patidar's record with RCB

Rajat Patidar has participated in 27 matches for RCB in the IPL, amassing a total of 799 runs with an average of 34.74 and a strike rate of 158.85. He is an essential component of RCB's top order; however, it remains to be seen how he will handle the additional responsibilities that come with the role of captain.

During the mega auction, RCB secured prominent players including Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, and Phil Salt. Conversely, the franchise made the decision to release several key players, notably Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj.

The RCB squad for IPL 2025 includes: Rajat Patidar (Captain), Virat Kohli, 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, and Mohit Rathee.

Read Also: RCB's New Leader: Rajat Patidar Named Captain for IPL 2025, Kohli Steps Aside

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