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‘I thought Virat Kohli would lead RCB…’: Mohammad Kaif ‘surprised’ by Rajat Patidar's IPL captaincy appointment
Rajat Patidar made his IPL debut in the 2021 season, with RCB purchasing him in the auction.
Ahead of the upcoming IPL 2025 season, Rajat Patidar has been named as Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper. The Madhya Pradesh batter took over the role as RCB released Faf du Plessis before the auction. The South African was captain for the franchise last season.
Many fans and experts also assumed that as Du Plessis had been released, Virat Kohli would be named as skipper. The former India captain stepped down from his role as RCB skipper after the 2021 season.
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‘I thought Virat Kohli would lead RCB’
Speaking on Patidar’s appointment, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif said, “I was a little surprised. I thought Virat Kohli would lead RCB, given they did not retain Faf du Plessis. I thought Kohli was effectively running RCB. Even if he is not the captain of the side, it is his job to tell the management to buy certain players and back them. So, if Patidar has become captain, Virat Kohli is behind it. That franchise has not won a single trophy in 18 years, but Kohli is still with them. That's how much RCB respect him; that's how much RCB value Virat's brand.”
Kaif also felt that Kohli played a big role in Patidar’s appointment. Patidar has been a key cog in the RCB setup and was retained.
“If Kohli did not become the captain and Rajat Patidar did, then certainly he is behind that. Kohli is 37; he must have wanted to focus on his batting and wanted a young player to lead the side, keeping the franchise's future in mind. But it will be difficult for Patidar,” he further added.
Patidar made his IPL debut in the 2021 season, with RCB purchasing him in the auction. He only played four matches and was released for the next season. He was unsold in the 2022 auction, and was later signed by RCB as a mid-season replacement.
RCB head coach Andy Flower also recently explained the decision and pointed out Patidar’s leadership skills, which could complement him as captain. “The first one is that there is calmness and a simplicity to Rajat that I think will stand him in excellent stead as a leader and a captain, particularly in the IPL. As we know, the IPL is one of the premier competitions in the world and there's pressures involved in that. I think the calm, simple demeanour that inherently lives within Rajat is going to serve him really well in the hurly-burly of that tournament,” he said.
