New Delhi: Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper and club legend Virat Kohli congratulated Rajat Patidar on his appointment as the new skipper of the Bengaluru-based franchise. The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise on Thursday named Patidar as its captain for the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league starting March 21.
Patidar was among the retained players by RCB ahead of the 2025 mega auction. He has leadership experience in captaining Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (ODI).
The 31-year-old led Madhya Pradesh to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 final where they lost to Mumbai by five.
Patidar, who joined the RCB brigade in 2022, finished as the second-highest run-scorer in SMAT, behind Ajinkya Rahane, with 428 runs from 10 matches at an average of 61 and a strike rate of 186.08.
Kohli wishes Patidar good luck ahead of IPL 2025
Ahead of the big announcement, there were murmurs in the media circles about Virat Kohli’s return as captain of the franchise. Kohli, who led RCB from 2013 to 2021, failed to guide the franchise to the title.
In a heartwarming video message, Kohli hailed Patidar for his growth as a cricketer and requested the fans to support their new captain. “Myself and the other team members will be right behind you, Rajat,” Kohli said in a video statement shared by the franchise.
“The way you have grown in this franchise and the way you have performed, you’ve made a place in the hearts of all RCB fans. This is very well deserved,” he said.
𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨𝐡𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬! 💌
“Myself and the other team members will be right behind you, Rajat”: Virat Kohli
“The way you have grown in this franchise and the way you have performed, you’ve made a place in the hearts of all RCB fans. This is very well deserved.”… pic.twitter.com/dgjDLm8ZCN
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) February 13, 2025
Patidar would be aiming to learn from Kohli, who captained RCB in 143 matches, the second-longest stint as a skipper of an IPL franchise after former Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni.
RCB announced Rajat Patidar as their new captain ahead of the IPL 2025. He was among the retained players ahead of the 2025 mega auction. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
