Follow UsIt’s the most special day, yet, in the career of 31-year-old Rajat Patidar who earlier today was unveiled as the brand new captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Patidar, who has been with the franchise since 2021, has seen his stocks skyrocket over the last two seasons and has become a cult hero of sorts within the RCB fanbase. So it was no surprise that he got the nod as the next RCB skipper, particularly with the franchise looking to build for the future.
Speaking after the official appointment, Patidar underlined his goals as captain of the franchise.
“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 in Bengaluru.
“I have great leaders around me, so I'll get to learn a lot from them."
Patidar being named captain came at the expense of Virat Kohli, who many RCB fans expected would return to captaincy. But Kohli is still very much in the franchise as a player, and Patidar is keen to learn from ‘one of the best cricketers’.
"I think it's a great opportunity for me to learn from one of the best cricketers, Kohli. His experience will definitely help me in my leadership group,” Patidar said.
“He's experienced. His ideas will help me, we have shared a lot of partnerships in the past. "