Dinesh Karthik explains why RCB chose Rajat Patidar as captain

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) took a surprising move that struck the world of cricket in awe. RCB appointed Rajat Patidar, a star India batter as their new captain for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The 31-year-old who made his IPL debut in 2021, the right-handed batter from Madhya Pradesh was retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction for ₹11 crore. Patidar, after the dominating reign of the most astonishing captains, now becomes the eighth player to lead RCB in the world’s most worthwhile T20 league. 

Virat Kohli was expected to return as the captain of RCB, but the management blew off the minds by appointing Rajat Patidar as the new leader of the team. However, the RCB authority decided to back Patidar, impressed by his leadership credentials. 

Dinesh Karthik, former India wicketkeeper-batter who now serves as RCB’s batting coach and mentor explained the idea that followed up the decision while speaking on Cricbuzz’s Hey CB with DK show.

“The way Rajat led Madhya Pradesh during the domestic season was fantastic,” Dinesh Karthik said. “A lot of players had great things to say about his leadership, and that played a huge role in our decision. Since this is a fresh cycle for the team, we wanted a new leader to take charge, and Rajat was the ideal choice.” 

Also Read: Rajat Patidar Net Worth 2024-25: Endorsements, Career Achievements

In the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Patidar put forward his leadership excellence as Madhya Pradesh's captain which led him to guide the team to the final. Amassing with 428 runs in 10 matches at an outstanding strike rate of 186.08 and an average of 61.14, he finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament. A match-winning 66* off 29 balls performance in the semifinal against Delhi and a blazing 81 off 40 balls in the final against Mumbai in the tournament helped him prove his abilities all around.

Patidar made his international debut for India in December 2023 against South Africa, where he has a cumulative score of 799 runs in 27 IPL matches so far. And with this added new responsibility, all eyes will be on him as he leads the star team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) into a fresh era.