Royal Challengers Bengaluru has named Rajat Patidar as their captain for the IPL 2025 season, a decision announced by RCB's COO Rajesh Menon during an event in Bengaluru on Thursday. The event was also attended by the team's director Mo Bobat, head coach Andy Flower, and Patidar himself.
In his first remarks as captain, Patidar highlighted his leadership style, stating, "I'm not very expressive, but it's important to back my players and stand with them, helping them feel relaxed and competitive. This group of leaders can also help me grow personally."
Patidar joined RCB in 2021 and has since played 27 IPL matches, amassing 799 runs with an average of 34.74. He's established himself as a formidable batter and showed his leadership potential by leading Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2024, where he was also the second-highest run-getter.
The decision to appoint Patidar comes after RCB released their former captain Faf du Plessis, who led the team for three seasons. Patidar, along with Virat Kohli and Yash Dayal, were the three players retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.
Although there were prominent captaincy candidates available in the auction, such as KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer, RCB opted not to pursue them. In the auction, they secured 22 players, including notable signings like England all-rounder Liam Livingstone and Australians Josh Hazlewood and Tim David.
With Patidar at the helm, RCB is looking to build a fresh strategy as they aim for their first IPL title.