RCB announce Rajat Patidar as new captain for IPL 2025; Virat Kohli says whole team is behind the new skipper

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) announced Rajat Patidar as their new captain for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Patidar will take over the captaincy duties from Faf du Plessis, who was released ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.

Former skipper Virat Kohli congratulated Rajat on becoming the new RCB captain. “I am here to inform everyone that Rajat Patidar will be the new captain for RCB. First I want to congratulate Rajat. The way you have grown at the franchise you have made a place in the hearts of RCB fans. This is very well deserved. Myself and other team members will be behind you… I am very happy for you. You have earned the right to be in this position,” he said in a video uploaded by RCB.

Former skipper Faf du Plessis also sent in his best wishes for Rajat Patidar. “Officially passing the baton to you. Keep whacking the ball for six. You will do a great job,” he said.

Patidar, who made his IPL debut in 2021 and has played 28 matches for RCB till date, scoring 799 runs at a strike-rate of 158.85. Much recently, the Madhya Pradesh batter had finished the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as the second highest run-getter. He scored 428 runs from nine innings at a strike-rate of 186.08.

“I really feel good. If I talk about my captaincy, I am not that expressive but I know what’s going around. I am lucky to be surrounded by good people, leadership group,” Patidar said during a press conference in Bengaluru on Thursday.

RCB head coach Andy Flower explained why they chose Patidar as skipper. “There’s calmness and simplicity to Rajat that will stand him in good stead as a leader particularly in IPL. The calm, simple demeanour that inherently lives within Rajat will help him in the hurly burly of the tournament.

“We watched Rajat very closely when he captained Madhya Pradesh in SMAT and we liked the quality. He’s inherently a quiet guy but he cares about the people around him. He will instantly have the respect and care of other people. As leader those qualities are important,” Andy said during the press conference.

“The third thing is that he’s got a stubbornness and steel about him. You see it the way he plays, takes on the game. This quality will be very important for him when he goes through the ups and downs. Those quality are going to stand Rajat in good stead. Really look forward to watch him in action,” he added.

‘Virat was an option’: Mo Bobat

There was high speculation that Virat Kohli , who led the franchise from 2013 to 2021, would become the RCB skipper again. RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat admitted that Kohli was an option for captaincy.

“We felt an Indian captain was strongly preferable – nothing against any overseas option. Of course, Virat was an option. He doesn’t need a captaincy title. He’s a leader regardless. Kohli leads with an example with the bat, he sets the tone, leads in the field, professionalism – the way he practices, nutrition, trains. But for the reasons we have said, it was right time,” Bobat said at the press conference.