Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have named Rajat Patidar as their captain for the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025). The announcement, made in Bengaluru on Thursday, marks a new leadership direction for the franchise after the release of Faf du Plessis.

While many speculated about Virat Kohli’s return as captain, RCB’s decision to appoint Patidar signals their intent to groom a new leader. The 31-year-old has impressed with his leadership abilities, having captained Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT).

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Patidar led MP to the finals of SMAT 2024 and though his team narrowly missed out on a quarterfinal spot in VHT, his tactical acumen stood out. His IPL leadership marks his first captaincy stint in the tournament.

Patidar’s IPL journey and RCB stint – Stats

Patidar made his IPL debut in 2021 and has since become a key player for RCB. The franchise retained him for Rs 11 crore ahead of the 2025 mega auction.

In 27 IPL matches, Patidar has scored 799 runs at a strike rate of 158.85, with a career-best 112* against Lucknow Super Giants in 2022. His ability to accelerate innings and handle pressure makes him a crucial middle-order batter.

YearMatchesRunsHighest ScoreStrike Rate100s50s4s6sCatches
Career27799112*158.851751548
20241539555177.130521333
20228333112*152.751227184
202147131114.5100331

Patidar’s consistent performances in domestic and IPL cricket earned him a call-up to India’s ODI squad in October 2023 for the South Africa and New Zealand series, though he didn’t play.

His ODI debut came in December 2023 against South Africa, where he scored 22 off 16 balls. In January 2024, he was selected as Virat Kohli’s replacement for the first two Tests against England. Making his Test debut on February 2 last year, he scored 32 and 9 runs. With Patidar at the helm, RCB is banking on fresh leadership to break their elusive IPL trophy drought.