Mo Bobat, the team director for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, explained that Virat Kohli will still be an important leader in the squad even if Rajat Patidar has been selected as the team's new captain for the 2025 Indian Premier League. Bobat underlined that an official captaincy title is not necessary given Kohli's extensive expertise and impact. After RCB parted company with Faf du Plessis in the IPL 2025 mega auction, many cricket fans and former players had anticipated that Kohli would take back the leadership position. But the team decided to take a different strategy and named Patidar captain, ushering in a new era for the group.
Mo Bobat on RCB captaincy
Speaking about the decision at Bengaluru announcement event, Bobat emphasized how Kohli's leadership has always been crucial to RCB, including during du Plessis' tenure as captain last season.
"Of course, Virat was an option. That goes without saying, and I know that the fans would have probably lent towards Virat in the first instance, but we have seen a lot of love for Rajat too... Virat doesn't need a captaincy title to lead. I think leadership, as we've all seen, is one of his strongest instincts. I think it just comes naturally to him. He leads regardless. For us, even last year with Faf as captain, we saw every bit of that. He leads as an example with the bat. The volume of runs, and the strike rate that he scored last year was so impressive and so important for us," Bobat said.
"He sets the tone. He leads on the field. I can think of two or three specific instances where he's actually created runout chances and wickets from nothing. Everyone in the field knows that they've got to be up to the standards because of him. He sets the tone with his energy often. Everyone's seen how much he likes to fight and a scrap and how much he wants to be the person getting us over the line. And then also the things that people don't see as much is his professionalism, the way he practices, the way he trains, his gym routines, his lifestyle, his nutrition, he's an example.So, look, I think everybody in the country and everyone in the world knows that Virat's a leader in every sense of the word," he added.
RCB’s head coach on Virat Kohli
Andy Flower, the head coach of the RCB, also provided insight into Kohli's response to the news, stating that the star batsman was very supportive and professional upon learning of Patidar's appointment. Kohli's dedication to the team is strong, and it is anticipated that he will continue to serve as a leader within the team.
"In our discussions with Virat, I thought the integrity and maturity that he showed over the subject were of the highest calibre. One of the things that stood out was the energy and enthusiasm he has for the upcoming season. You saw in the video earlier the authenticity with which he spoke. He was a huge part of turning the season around (IPL 2024) for us. That experience with him last season only made my respect for him grow. I have got only good things to say about him," Flower said.
Along with his decision to give up India's T20I and ODI captaincy, Kohli resigned from his position as captain of the RCB after nine seasons from 2013 to 2021. His leadership has been crucial in fostering the team's spirit of competition, even though he has never won an IPL trophy as captain. Following in the footsteps of Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, and Virat Kohli, Patidar will now be the fourth Indian to captain RCB in the IPL.