New Delhi: Mo Bobat, the team director of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, clarified that although Virat Kohli will remain a key figure in the team, the captaincy for the 2025 IPL season has been handed to Rajat Patidar. Bobat emphasized that Kohli’s leadership influence will still be significant, even without the formal title. Following RCB’s decision to part ways with Faf du Plessis during the 2025 mega auction, there was widespread speculation that Kohli might return as captain. However, the franchise chose a fresh direction by appointing Patidar as the new leader, marking a new chapter for the team.
“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.
Andy Flower, the Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach, shared that Virat Kohli reacted positively and professionally upon hearing about Rajat Patidar’s captaincy. Flower highlighted Kohli’s unwavering commitment to the team and indicated that Kohli will continue to play a leadership role, despite not holding the official title.
“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.
Virat Kohli stepped down as captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore after leading the team for nine seasons from 2013 to 2021, alongside his decision to relinquish the captaincy of India’s T20I and ODI teams. Despite not securing an IPL title during his tenure, Kohli’s leadership was instrumental in instilling a competitive spirit within the squad. Rajat Patidar will now take on the captaincy, becoming the fourth Indian to do so for RCB, following in the footsteps of Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, and Kohli.
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