Cricket fans were in amazement with Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) unexpected move. For the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, RCB named Rajat Patidar, a standout batsman for India, as their new captain. The Madhya Pradesh-born right-handed batsman, 31, who made his IPL debut in 2021, was signed by the team before the IPL 2025 mega auction for ₹11 crore. Following the reign of the most incredible leaders, Patidar is now the eighth player to lead RCB in the most valuable T20 league in the globe.
Although it was anticipated that Virat Kohli will rejoin as RCB captain, the management shocked everyone by selecting Rajat Patidar to take over as team captain. But after being impressed by Patidar’s leadership abilities, the RCB authorities chose to support him.
On Cricbuzz’s Hey CB with DK episode, Dinesh Karthik, a former India wicketkeeper-batter who is currently RCB’s batting coach and mentor, discussed the reasoning behind the choice.
Dinesh Karthik praised Rajat’s leadership of Madhya Pradesh during the domestic season. Our choice was greatly influenced by the positive things that several players had to say about his leadership. We wanted a new leader to take command because this is a new cycle for the team, and Rajat was the perfect fit.
As Madhya Pradesh’s captain, Patidar demonstrated exceptional leadership in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, leading the team to the championship game. He finished as the tournament’s second-highest run scorer with 428 runs in 10 games with an incredible strike rate of 186.08 and an average of 61.14. He demonstrated his versatility in the tournament with a game-winning 66* off 29 balls against Delhi in the semifinals and a scorching 81 off 40 balls against Mumbai in the final.
Patidar, who has scored 799 runs in 27 IPL games so far, made his debut for India on the international scene in December 2023 against South Africa. All eyes will be on him as he guides the elite team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) into a new era with this additional responsibility.
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