Rajat Patidar Named RCB Captain Ahead of IPL 2025

Rajat Patidar, a 31-year-old middle order batter, has been appointed as the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Background

Patidar was one of the three retentions for RCB ahead of the mega auctions, apart from Virat Kohli and Yash Dayal. He was retained for INR 11 Crore.

Career with RCB

Patidar made his IPL debut in 2021 and has been a part of the franchise since then. He has featured in 27 games for RCB, scoring 799 runs at a strike rate of 158.85.

Captaincy

Patidar's appointment is a fresh direction for the Royal Challengers, who have been led by Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis over the years. Kohli first captained the team in May 2011, stepping in for Daniel Vettori who was not available for three matches. He took over full-time captaincy of the team in 2012 and led the team until the 2021 season.

Recent Performance

Patidar led Madhya Pradesh to the final of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this season. He made a strong impression for RCB, scoring 333 runs in 8 innings, including a century, and since then became an integral part of the side.