As the IPL 2025 season resumes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar took a moment to reflect on the remarkable journey that led him to captain one of the league’s most popular franchises. Speaking on the RCB Podcast, the 31-year-old shared his story from being overlooked at the 2022 mega auction to becoming the leader of a team still chasing its first IPL title.
Patidar, who originally debuted for RCB as a replacement in IPL 2021, revealed that he had been quietly confident of getting picked again during the 2022 auction. “I was told to be ready. I had a feeling I’d be picked,” he recalled. “But when my name wasn’t called, I felt a bit low.” He soon returned to playing local matches in Indore until an unexpected call from RCB changed everything.
The team wanted him as an injury replacement for Luvnith Sisodia. “To be honest, I didn’t want to join as a replacement. I feared I wouldn’t get to play, and I’ve never liked just sitting in the dugout,” he admitted. “I wasn’t angry, just momentarily disappointed, but I moved on.”
Fast forward three years, and in a surprising turn of events ahead of IPL 2025, RCB handed Patidar the captaincy despite a star-studded squad including the legendary Virat Kohli.
“There were doubts in my mind. I thought, ‘How can I lead a team that has players like Virat?’ But I knew he supported me completely. He’s someone I’ve looked up to since I started watching cricket on TV,” Patidar said. “To receive the captaincy plaque from him was an unforgettable moment. I didn’t know how to react, but he simply said, ‘You deserve it, you earned it’, and that calmed me.”
Rajat Patidar’s IPL Career Overview
Rajat Patidar has emerged as one of the most consistent performers in the IPL, having played 38 matches and scored 1,038 runs. He boasts an impressive average of 31.45 and a formidable strike rate of 154.23, reflecting his ability to score quickly while maintaining consistency.
His most iconic performance came in the IPL 2022 Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants, where he smashed a dominant century under pressure. That memorable knock played a pivotal role in propelling Royal Challengers Bengaluru into the next round of the playoffs and cemented his status as a big-match player.
In the ongoing IPL 2025 season, Patidar has taken up the mantle of captaincy, leading RCB in 11 matches and securing eight victories. He has contributed 239 runs in the middle order while maintaining a calm, tactical approach as skipper. His leadership qualities have come to the forefront, building on the momentum from a successful domestic season, where he led Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
