Rajat Patidar clears Virat Kohli's in RCB after becoming their new captain
Published - 13 Feb 2025, 01:20 PM | Updated - 13 Feb 2025, 01:51 PM
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Rajat Patidar is all set to embark on the new chapter of his career as the new captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and he has a golden opportunity to learn from none other than Virat Kohli. After being named as the new RCB captain, Rajat Patidar showered rich praise on Virat Kohli.
With Kohli’s experience and guidance, Patidar is ready to embrace the new challenge as the new RCB captain in the upcoming IPL 2025. The Madhya Pradesh batter believes that Kohi’s experience and advice will help him as captain, and he feels lucky to have such a great mentor.
Rajat Patidar calls Virat Kohli the perfect mentor as he takes over RCB captaincy
Rajat Patidar said at the event in Bengaluru, “It's a great opportunity to learn from one of the best in cricket, Virat Kohli. His experience and ideas will definitely help me with this leadership role. I'm lucky to learn from one of the best.”
Meanwhile, the 31-year-old is embracing his new role as RCB captain with confidence and a clear vision. Patidar said that he may not be the most expressive leader, but he believes in standing by his players, ensuring they feel supported and competitive.
My way of captaincy is different: Rajat Patidar
The new RCB skipper said that he will lead the franchise with his own unique style of captaincy while learning from some of the most experienced leaders around him. Patidar said, “I really feel good right now. If I talk about my way of captaincy, I'm not very expressive, but it's important I back my players and stand with them. So, they feel relaxed and competitive.”
He signed off by saying, “It's good to have this group of leaders who can help me with growing personally as well. I am not looking back; I’m looking forward. We have a lot of experienced players and experienced leaders. My way of captaincy is different. So, I will back my instincts. I will also seek help from others.”
Rajat Patidar's stellar rise from leading Madhya Pradesh to IPL stardom with RCB
Notably, Patidar has experience leading Madhya Pradesh in domestic tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. The 31-year-old, who joined RCB in 2021, led his team to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final last year, where they lost to Mumbai.
The right-handed batter was also the T20 domestic tournament's second-highest run-scorer, with 428 runs in 10 matches at an impressive average of 61 and a strike rate of 186.08. Rajat made his IPL debut in 2021, and he has so far played 27 matches, scoring 799 runs at a strike rate of around 159.
Virat Kohli's legacy as RCB captain in numbers
Speaking about Virat Kohli’s tenure, the former Indian captain led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 143 matches, making him the second-longest-serving captain in IPL history after MS Dhoni's tenure with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the tournament.
During Kohli’s leadership, RCB won 68 matches, suffered 70 defeats, and had four games end without a result in the IPL. His most remarkable season as captain came in 2016 when he led the franchise to the IPL final while leading them from the front with record-breaking 973 runs, which is still the highest in a single edition of the world’s biggest T20 extravaganza.
