Big exposé! Aakash Chopra attacks RCB Director for fake story on Rajat Patidar’s captaincy
Table of Contents
Former Indian cricketer turned analyst Aakash Chopra sniffs something foul in Mo Bobat's claim of identifying Rajat Patidar as the next RCB skipper since a match in Dharamshala in IPL 2024.
Claims have been made over Royal Challengers Bengaluru placing their skipper Rajat Patidar in the role after observing him over the course of the last year, before handing him the baton of one of the world's most loved and highly valued franchises.
Patidar was never seen as a skipper in any of the tournaments he had played until 2024, but was appointed the captain by Madhya Pradesh for the domestic season, while the next Royal Challengers also decided to bring him in as the skipper of the side for the IPL 2025 season, despite having several senior players in the team.
Rajat Patidar has been cited as captain since the 'IPL 2024 '- Massive revelation made
In a recent exclusive interview with Cricbuzz, RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat has shed light on the team's much-planned move to assign Rajat Patidar as the skipper of the side for IPL 2025.
RCB shocked all with the retention of just three players, having released the likes of their most reliable players, while they also did not budge an inch for bidding to acquire any player who could be a suitable fit in the role of captain.
Rajat Patidar, though, was retained in the side, despite not being an uncapped Indian player, which made it clear that the management had some plans in store for the MP star. Bobat recently confirmed his inclusion was not a post-auction gamble but rather a well-thought-out move.
"The idea of him as captain first came up in Dharamsala in 2024. From there, he was nudged to lead MP in domestic cricket, tracked through SMAT, where he impressed with his calmness under pressure before being handed the baton," MO Bobat was quoted as saying to Cricbuzz.
Aakash Chopra identifies discrepancies in MO Bobat's claims
A franchise can’t possibly ‘nudge’ someone to lead in ‘domestic cricket’. Right??
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) August 22, 2025
One could understand if someone is a seasoned State Team captain and is asked to continue (in case, he’s offered the captaincy by the state team again). Rajat was a first-time skipper at MP.… https://t.co/RtQHkqyjXm
However, former Indian cricketer turned analyst Aakash Chopra has claimed discrepancies in the issued statement, since he wanted clarity on how a franchise team could 'nudge' someone to lead the 'domestic state cricket team.'
"A franchise can’t possibly ‘nudge’ someone to lead in ‘domestic cricket’. Right??" he claimed.
Chopra claimed that Rajat Patidar, before this, had never been handed captaincy by the Madhya Pradesh State team, so how could RCB plan such a move beforehand? "The math isn't mathing," claimed Chopra.
"One could understand if someone is a seasoned State Team captain and is asked to continue (in case, he’s offered the captaincy by the state team again). Rajat was a first-time skipper at MP," Aakash Chopra added.
Rajat Patidar awaits an India T20I selection despite IPL triumph
Despite his prolific performance with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajat has failed to be promising enough to get an Indian team selection in the shortest format of the game. The Indian team, though, now looks too packed for any new entry; however, the batter should keep up his good work.
Patidar, the first title-winning skipper for RCB, is considered to lead the franchise for the upcoming season as well. He will be eyeing a selection call before the onset of the preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
