IPL 2025 – Virat Kohli on Rajat Patidar as RCB captain – He’ll do an amazing job for this wonderful franchise

03/18/2025 10:43 PM

IPL 2025 – Virat Kohli on Rajat Patidar as RCB captain – He’ll do an amazing job for this wonderful franchise

Virat Kohli has thrown his weight behind new Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar, whom he thinks will “lead you guys for a very long time.” Patidar, certainly one of RCB’s three retentions forward of final November’s mega-auction, was unveiled as Faf du Plessis’ successor last month.

“He [Patidar] is an incredible expertise,” Kohli mentioned at RCB Unbox, an occasion to unveil the crew’s 2025 roster in Bengaluru on Monday. “He is a good participant, everyone knows that, however he has bought an amazing head on his shoulders, and he’ll do an amazing job for this wonderful franchise and take the crew ahead. He has bought all the pieces that is required.”

Patidar, who was initially spoken to for the function after IPL 2024, is a brand new captain. As a precursor to his RCB job, Patidar was handed the captaincy at Madhya Pradesh, and he led the crew to the final of the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy late final yr. Patidar’s personal contribution throughout the marketing campaign was stellar – 428 runs in nine innings at a strike charge of 186.08. His 27 sixes had been the second-most within the event.

Patidar, who walked onto the dais amid deafening noise spoke of drawing inspiration from the superstars of the previous. “Legends like Virat bhai, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle have performed for RCB. I grew up watching them. From the beginning, I’ve liked the franchise quite a bit. I’m completely happy that I bought a brand new function to guide one of many greatest groups in T20 cricket.”

De Villiers, whom Patidar had the chance to play with throughout his maiden season in 2021 as an uncapped participant, believes captaincy might be a double-edged sword for the 31-year-old. He additionally hopes Patidar will be capable to develop his personal model, and never attempt to emulate previous captains like Kohli or du Plessis.

“Patidar’s greatest problem might be insecurity, entering into the massive boots of captains like Faf and Virat,” de Villiers mentioned throughout a media session organised by JioStar. “Having Virat round and always nearly doubting your self – ‘Am I doing the precise factor? What would Virat do?’ In order that I feel might be his greatest impediment. Use the expertise of Virat, use the expertise of [head coach] Andy Flower, however at all times keep true to who you’re.”

On the captaincy announcement final month, Flower had underlined three qualities he felt made them decide Patidar as captain.

“The primary one is there is a calmness and a simplicity to Rajat that I feel will stand him in actually good stead as a frontrunner and a captain, notably within the IPL,” Flower had mentioned. “The calm, easy manner that inherently lives inside Rajat goes to serve him very well within the hurly-burly of that event.

“The second factor I might say about him, he is inherently fairly a quiet man, however observing him, he cares concerning the individuals round him, he cares concerning the those who he performs with, that he shares a dressing room with. And I feel that is a high quality that implies that he’ll immediately have the respect and care from different individuals. As a frontrunner, these qualities are vital. In that folks will comply with you and get behind you.

“After which the third factor that stands out for me about him is that he is bought a stubbornness and a power and a steeliness about him. I’ve seen it myself once I’m making an attempt to educate him within the nets and he will not hearken to me, however you see it in the best way that he performs. You see the bravery with which he takes on the sport and I feel that high quality inside him might be actually vital for him by way of the ups and downs.”