Rajat Patidar picked as India captain

Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered their third consecutive defeat at home in the IPL 2025, losing to Punjab Kings by five wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, April 18. However, former cricketer Robin Uthappa called RCB skipper Rajat Patidar a strong contender for the future captaincy of India.

Rajat Patidar has shown impressive leadership during his first stint as captain in the IPL. He has led RCB with strong performances and set a great example for his team. It is worth mentioning that the Bengaluru-based franchise has won all their away matches in the ongoing edition of the T20 tournament.

RCB Restricted to 95/9 in 14-Over Contest Against Punjab Kings

The Rajat Patidar-led team was put into bat first in the 14-over contest and were restricted to 95/9. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Phil Salt in the opening over. After losing half of their side for just 33 runs, Tim David rescued the team with a blistering 50* off 26 balls, including five fours and three sixes.

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Punjab faced early challenges, losing wickets at regular intervals. However, Nehal Wadhera remained calm under pressure, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 33 off 19 balls, and guided Punjab to a five-wicket win with 11 balls to spare. This victory marked their fifth of the season.

In terms of bowling, Josh Hazlewood was the best performer for RCB, registering impressive figures of 3/14 in three overs. However, the low target was not enough for RCB, as Punjab successfully chased it down.

Rajat Patidar Shows Great Character as a Leader - Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa has praised Rajat Patidar, calling him a strong contender for future Team India captaincy. Uthappa emphasized that if Rajat Patidar can figure out how to secure home wins for RCB, he will become a top candidate for the Indian captaincy role.

“Loved how Rajat took ownership about RCB’s batting. Shows great character as a leader. He has to work out how they win at home and if he does that then he’ll become a front runner in captaincy conversations in Indian Cricket,” he wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Loved how Rajat took ownership about RCB’s batting. Shows great character as a leader. He has to work out how they win at home and if he does that then he’ll become a front runner in captaincy conversations in Indian Cricket.

— Robbie Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) April 19, 2025

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Slump to Third Home Defeat in IPL 2025

Royal Challengers Bengaluru is concerned with three losses out of their seven matches played so far in the season, all of which have come at home.

RCB's home struggles began with a heavy eight-wicket defeat to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in their first home game. They suffered a disappointing six-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals (DC). RCB's batting line-up has consistently failed to deliver in three home games, putting their chances of qualification at risk.

As the tournament progresses and the points table becomes more competitive, RCB must find a way to secure victories on home soil. If they don't address this issue soon, their playoff hopes could be severely impacted.

Also read: Watch- KL Rahul brutally assaults Kevin Pietersen for his Maldives Trip midway through IPL 2025