"Rajat Patidar became RCB captain because of Virat Kohli's blessings"- Massive dig at India Legend
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RCB's Director of Cricket, MO Bobat, highlights the backing received from Virat Kohli as they pinned the big burden of captaincy on the young shoulders of Rajat Patidar after having removed the veteran Faf du Plessis from the role.
Royal Challengers Bangalore won the IPL title after an 18-year wait, and franchise veteran Virat Kohli enjoyed every bit of the win with tearful eyes. The Challengers players all put in a joint effort; while the batters scored runs, the bowlers picked wickets, and the team did not depend on just that one player for wins.
From Kohli to Tim David and Phil Salt to Jitesh Sharma, all scored runs while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood joined hands to tear through the opposition batting order. A week before, Bhuvi, in an interview, claimed that the team was so experienced that Patidar didn't have to do much as a captain.
RCB Director sheds light on plans surrounding Rajat Patidar from 2024
While in an exclusive interview with Cricbuzz, the Royal Challengers Bangalore Director of Cricket, who recently also acquired a new position as the Director of Cricket for the London Spirit ahead of The Hundred season, claimed that the team's plans with Patidar.
Surprisingly, RCB, after their historic comeback in 2024, decided to retain the likes of veteran Kohli, Yash Dayal ,and youngster Rajat Patidar for their upcoming season before the mega-auction.
After the mega-auction, where RCB did not bid for Captaincy, suitable players, everyone anticipated the return of Virat Kohli as RCB's skipper; however, the franchise shocked all with the appointment of Rajat Patidar. Bobat confirms that the decision of his appointment was not a post-auction gamble.
Mo Bobat says the idea of him as captain first came up in Dharamsala in 2024. He also made a wild claim to have nudged him as MP's skipper in the domestic season and kept a watch on him throughout the SMAT season before handing him the mighty responsibility.
MO Bobat reflects on Virat Kohli's extensive support towards the new skipper
Bobat recalls how franchise veteran Virat Kohli, who has extensive experience in the international formats and holds an indispensable role in the RCB setup, backed Patidar and confirmed his 100% involvement to help the new skipper succeed.
"We spoke with Virat Kohli that Rajat Patidar was going to be New to Captaincy. And Virat said, 'Look, 100% I'm there to help. It's in all of our interests if Rajat succeeds," quoted Bobat in the exclusive interview with Cricbuzz.
"Let's give this a go. It was brilliant to have Virat Kohli's blessing and his approval because he's an important person and player in our environment," he added.
Patidar became the first RCB captain to win the IPL trophy
In IPL 2025, Rajat Patidar became the first skipper for RCB to have his hands onto the IPL trophy. Throughout the last 17 seasons, the likes of the great Anil Kumble, Daniel Vettori, Virat Kohli, and Faf du Plessis failed to lead them to a title.
The young MP skipper, though he might not have been the most proactive skipper in the field, was there to stand by his side, as he had a few wonderful referrals and also backed his players with some strong performances in the middle order. Jitesh Sharma was also seen as his deputy on a few occasions.
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