'They closely followed my domestic performances' - Rajat Patidar on RCB camp shaping his cricketing journey

Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained Rajat Patidar for INR 11 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega-auction, slated to be held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah. He was sensational for the franchise in the last edition of the competition and played a vital role in helping them qualify for the playoffs. At one stage, RCB managed to win only one out of their first eight matches and that’s when the likes of Virat Kohli and Patidar stepped up to take RCB to the playoffs.

Looking at his contribution, RCB retained him and recently, former cricketer Robin Uthappa also endorsed him to be the next captain of the franchise. Meanwhile, speaking about his relationship with the franchise, Patidar stated that the RCB scout team followed his domestic performance very closely and played a part in boosting his confidence and helping him realise his potential.

“The RCB scouting team closely followed my domestic performances for a couple of years before bringing me into the team. The training camps weren't just about practice—they were crucial in refining my game, boosting my confidence, and helping me realize my potential,” Patidar said.

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“The coaches and management were always there to guide and support me, giving me clarity on my role within the team and strengthening my self-belief. All of this played a huge part in what I've been able to achieve for both the team and my own game,” he added.

Apart from Patidar, RCB retained Kohi for INR 21 crore and Yash Dayal for INR 5 crore. The franchise is looking for a fresh start under head coach Andy Flower and Mo Bobat and has INR 83 crore to spend in the auction. They have also roped in Dinesh Karthik and Omkar Salvi as batting and bowling coach for the next season.

Ahead of the auction, they have also started several scouting sessions, in which, the likes of Ashutosh Sharma and Angkrish Raghuvanshi among others have been spotted.