IPL 2025: 3 players who can thrive under Rajat Patidar at RCB

New season, new team and a new captain: the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are going into the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a fresh slate. Rajat Patidar was one of the three players retained by the franchise, and on February 13 (Thursday), he was unveiled as the new captain. 

Here, we look at a few players who can thrive under the new skipper:

Yash Dayal

Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal had his best IPL season in 2024, where he picked up 15 wickets. He could be the one to spearhead this bowling attack along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and will have to play a vital role in RCB's quest to win the title. 

In 2024, Dayal was led by Faf du Plessis, but under an Indian captain, he could be a little more open, which could benefit him in the tournament.

Jitesh Sharma

Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma was bought for a whopping INR 11 crore at the auction when nobody expected it. It's no secret that the weight of the price tag often adds extra pressure on you. Who better to understand that than Patidar, who was also retained for the same amount and now has the pressure of leading the franchise as well? 

Jitesh had a season to forget last year when he managed just 187 runs from 14 matches for Punjab Kings (PBKS) at an average of 17. He will hope to turn a new leaf at his new franchise.

Devdutt Padikkal

It is a second coming for Devdutt Padikkal, who started his career at RCB. Like Jitesh, he is coming off the back of some lean form in the IPL. In his seven games for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) last season, he managed just 38 runs at 5.43. 

Safe to say, he would want to make his second stint count. He has scored 884 runs for the franchise in 29 innings at a strike rate of 125.03, including six fifties and a century.