Indian cricketer Rajat Patidar has been appointed as the new captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Many fans expected Virat Kohli to take over the captaincy after RCB did not retain Faf du Plessis, who led the team from 2022 to 2024.
The announcement was made in Bengaluru at an event attended by RCB’s team director, Muhammad Bobat, head coach Andy Flower, and Patidar. The 31-year-old batter has been with RCB since 2021, playing 28 matches and scoring 799 runs at a strike rate of 158.85.
Coach Andy Flower praised Patidar for his calmness and leadership qualities, while Muhammad Bobat revealed that Kohli was also considered for the role. However, they ultimately chose Patidar as they preferred an Indian captain and believed he was ready for the challenge.
Patidar has gained leadership experience by captaining Madhya Pradesh in domestic tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was also one of the three players RCB retained before the IPL 2025 mega auction.
RCB has never won an IPL title but has reached the final three times, with the last appearance in 2016. They made the playoffs in four of the previous five seasons, including in 2024, when they won six consecutive matches to qualify but lost in the Eliminator.
With RCB appointing Patidar, only Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) have yet to announce their captains for IPL 2025.