IPL 2025: 3 Reasons Rajat Patidar Could Help RCB Win Their First-Ever Title

On February 13 (Thursday), Rajat Patidar was announced as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, taking over from Faf du Plessis. The Madhya Pradesh batter was retained for INR 11 crore ahead of the auction and will embark on his first season as an IPL captain.

Also Read: New RCB Captain Rajat Patidar Underlines His Goals For IPL 2025

RCB are yet to win the IPL title, and with a new face leading them, this could be an opportunity to reinvent themselves and go all the way. Here are some reasons Patidar could create history and lead RCB to their first-ever IPL title.

Worthy captain

Patidar proved his worth as captain in the recent edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he led Madhya Pradesh to the final. Not just that, he did not let his performance with the bat dip, as he accumulated 428 runs at 61.14, along with a strike rate of 186.08. 

Middle-overs basher

In the last four seasons of the IPL, no batter has scored at a higher strike rate than Patidar in the middle-overs, among those with at least 300 runs. The 31-year-old has struck at a strike rate of 166.3 in this period. 

He is also excellent against spin (SR 177.4 since IPL 2021) and has tonked them for as many as 36 sixes. Along with his leadership, his ability to tackle the middle overs and spinners could prove crucial.

A calming influence

With plenty of explosive options like Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David and Krunal Pandya likely to make the XI, Patidar at three is a calming influence on the team. He has the ability to absorb the pressure, while keeping the scorecard ticking and can also go gung-ho from ball one, as he has many times. He's also got nerves of steel and can deliver in crunch situations.

Patidar even recently said that he hopes to create a 'chilled atmosphere' to get the best out of the players in the group.

“If I talk about my captaincy, I'm not that expressive but I'm aware of the match. I want to give the players an environment where players won't feel pressure and a chilled atmosphere,” Patidar said.