'He will do a great job for this amazing franchise' - Virat Kohli on new RCB captain Rajat Patidar

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) recently announced star batter Rajat Patidar as their new skipper ahead of the 2025 IPL season. The decision to appoint the 31-year-old as the franchise’s leader has been supported by Virat Kohli, who believes Patidar has what it takes to lead the team for a long time. During the RCB Unbox event in Bengaluru, Kohli expressed his confidence in Patidar’s ability to lead.

The RCB batting stalwart mentioned that the franchise is in good hands with a new leader coming on board. He also emphasized that Patidar will lead the team for a long time and bring immense laurels.

"He [Patidar] is an amazing talent. He is a great player, we all know that, but he has got a great head on his shoulders, and he will do a great job for this amazing franchise and take the team forward. He has got everything that's required. He will lead you guys for a long time," he said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Patidar was one of RCB’s three retentions ahead of the 2025 IPL mega auction and has now been given the role to lead the franchise. Having performed consistently in domestic cricket, his leadership qualities came to the forefront when he captained Madhya Pradesh to the final of the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and scored 428 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 186.08. Patidar acknowledged the legacy of RCB and the inspiration he draws from past legends.

"Legends like Virat bhai, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle have played for RCB. I grew up watching them. From the start, I have loved the franchise a lot. I am happy that I got a new role to lead one of the biggest teams in T20 cricket," he said.

Also Read: 5 RCB players who can be match-winners in IPL 2025

Patidar's biggest challenge will be insecurity: AB de Villiers

Meanwhile, former RCB superstar and South African skipper AB de Villiers believes that self-doubt could be Patidar’s biggest hurdle but his coming out of it will be something to watch out for.

"Patidar's biggest challenge will be insecurity, stepping into the big boots of captains like Faf and Virat. Having Virat around and constantly almost doubting yourself - 'Am I doing the right thing? What would Virat do?' So that I think will be his biggest obstacle. Use the experience of Virat, use the experience of [head coach] Andy Flower, but always stay true to who you are," De Villiers said during a media session organized by JioStar.