Rajat Patidar is poised to begin a new chapter in his career as the new captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and he has a unique opportunity to learn from Virat Kohli. Following his appointment as captain, Patidar expressed high regard for Kohli.
Patidar talked about the value of Kohli's experience and guidance as he takes on this new challenge in the upcoming IPL 2025 season. The Madhya Pradesh batter believes that Kohli's insights and advice will be invaluable to him as captain, and he considers himself fortunate to have such an exceptional mentor.
I'm lucky to learn from one of the best, Virat Kohli: Rajat Patidar
“It's a great opportunity to learn from one of the best in cricket, Virat Kohli. His experience and ideas will definitely help me with this leadership role. I'm lucky to learn from one of the best,” Patidar said at the event in Bengaluru, after being appointed RCB's new captain.
The Rajat Patidar also talked about his style of captaincy. The 31-year-old star batter said that his way of captaincy will be different but he will back his instincts. The newly appointed RCB captain stated that he intends to lead the franchise with his own distinct captaincy style, while also drawing inspiration and knowledge from the experienced leaders surrounding him. Patidar then elaborated further on his approach.
“I really feel good right now. If I talk about my way of captaincy, I'm not very expressive, but it's important I back my players and stand with them. So, they feel relaxed and competitive,” he added.
“It's good to have this group of leaders who can help me with growing personally as well. I am not looking back; I’m looking forward. We have a lot of experienced players and experienced leaders. My way of captaincy is different. So, I will back my instincts. I will also seek help from others,” he concluded.
Rajat Patidar brings prior leadership experience to the RCB captaincy, having led Madhya Pradesh in domestic competitions such as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The star batter, who joined RCB in 2021, captained his state team to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final last year, where they were eventually defeated by Mumbai. He also shone with the bat in that tournament, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer with 428 runs in 10 matches, boasting an impressive average of 61 and a strike rate of 186.08. Since his IPL debut in 2021, Patidar has played 27 matches, scoring 799 runs at a strike rate of approximately 159.
Reflecting on Virat Kohli's captaincy tenure, he led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 143 matches, making him the second-longest-serving captain in IPL history, second only to MS Dhoni's tenure with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Under Kohli's leadership, RCB won 68 matches, lost 70, and had four matches end without a result. His most memorable season as captain was in 2016, when he led the franchise to the IPL final while simultaneously dominating with the bat, scoring a record-breaking 973 runs. This remains the highest individual score in a single edition of the IPL.