Follow UsThe much-anticipated captaincy announcement of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Men’s side happened today in Bengaluru and it was Rajat Patidar who was unveiled as the brand new skipper of the franchise.
Patidar has been one of the standout batters for RCB since 2022 and, additionally, has become a cult hero in the eyes of the fans thanks to his ultra-aggressive stroke-making.
But the announcement did disappoint a section of the RCB fanbase, which was hoping for Virat Kohli to return to the helm. Kohli has led RCB 143 times in the IPL but was last the full-time skipper during the 2021 edition of the competition.
So, why was Kohli overlooked for captaincy this time around despite there being a vacancy? RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat explained the reasoning behind Patidar being made captain.
"Of course, Virat was one of the options. But he's someone who doesn't need a title, he's always a captain in the dressing room,” Bobat said at a press conference in Bengaluru today.
“He sets the tone, he leads the team on the field. He's won multiple games on the field. You can see his energy out on the field. People don't see his professionalism, he's truly a professional.
“Andy and I [Mo Bobat] lean on him a lot, and I'm sure Patidar will too. Kohli was excited and happy with this decision, he knows how deserving Rajat was for the captaincy."
Earlier, Kohli himself stated that Patidar ‘deserved’ captaincy and asserted that the entire team will be behind the newly-appointed skipper.
"This is very well deserved, the entire team is behind you, you'll have all our support,” Kohli said.