In a significant leadership change, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has named Rajat Patidar as their captain for the upcoming 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The announcement was made during an event at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) on Thursday, February 13.

New Leadership for RCB

Following the release of former skipper Faf du Plessis, RCB was in search of a new leader for the upcoming season. Patidar, who guided Madhya Pradesh to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final earlier this season, has now been entrusted with the leadership role, making him the eighth player to captain RCB.

Patidar’s Journey with RCB

Patidar first joined RCB in 2021 and has remained a key part of the squad since then. Known for his ability to take on both pace and spin, the middle-order batter has played 27 matches for RCB, amassing 799 runs at an impressive strike rate of 158.85. Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auctions, RCB retained him for INR 11 crore, alongside Virat Kohli and Yash Dayal.

Interestingly, Patidar was released before the 2022 season and went unsold in the auction. However, an injury to Luvinth Sisodia during the same season opened the door for his return as a replacement player. He made a strong impact, scoring 333 runs in eight innings, including a century, cementing his place in the squad.

A New Era After Kohli and Du Plessis

Patidar’s captaincy marks a fresh chapter for RCB, following the leadership eras of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. Kohli initially led RCB in 2011, stepping in for Daniel Vettori before taking over full-time in 2012. Under his captaincy, the team reached the playoffs in 2015 and finished as runners-up in 2016, with Kohli himself scoring a record 973 runs that season. He continued as captain until 2021, guiding the team to playoff finishes in 2020 and 2021.

Du Plessis took over in 2022, leading RCB to two playoff appearances in the 2022-24 cycle. Kohli briefly stepped in as stand-in captain during the 2023 season when du Plessis was recovering from a rib injury.

With Patidar now at the helm, RCB fans will be eager to see how the team performs under his leadership in IPL 2025.