"With Kohli’s Mentorship, I’m Ready to Lead RCB:" Patidar on Leadership

Rajat Patidar enters a new chapter of his professional life as the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and he has a wonderful opportunity to learn from Virat Kohli. Once appointed captain, Patidar expressed his admiration for Kohli. Patidar highlighted how important Kohli's experience and advice will be as he enters this new chapter of the IPL 2025 season. The Madhya Pradesh player considers himself fortunate to have Kohli as his mentor, expecting his advice and input to be instrumental in developing his captaincy.

“It's a great opportunity to learn from one of the best in cricket, Virat Kohli. His experience and ideas will definitely help me with this leadership role. I'm lucky to learn from one of the best,” Patidar said at the event in Bengaluru, after being appointed RCB's new captain. 

Rajat Patidar also shared insights into his approach to captaincy. The 31-year-old batter acknowledged that his leadership style will be unique, but he plans to trust his instincts. While he aims to lead RCB in his own way, he also values the wisdom and experience of the seasoned leaders around him. Patidar then went on to elaborate on his leadership philosophy.

“I really feel good right now. If I talk about my way of captaincy, I'm not very expressive, but it's important I back my players and stand with them. So, they feel relaxed and competitive,” he added.

“It's good to have this group of leaders who can help me with growing personally as well. I am not looking back; I’m looking forward. We have a lot of experienced players and experienced leaders. My way of captaincy is different. So, I will back my instincts. I will also seek help from others,” he concluded.

Success with Madhya Pradesh: A Proven Track Record

Rajat Patidar takes over the RCB captaincy with rich leadership experience, having already captained Madhya Pradesh in domestic competitions such as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The star batsman, who joined RCB in 2021, took his state side to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final last year, where they lost to Mumbai.

Patidar also impressed with the bat in that tournament, ending as the second-highest run-scorer with 428 runs in 10 games, averaging an impressive 61 with a scorching strike rate of 186.08. In the 27 games he has played since his IPL debut in 2021, he has scored 799 runs at a strike rate of almost 159.

Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 143 matches, making him the second-longest-serving captain in IPL history, behind only MS Dhoni’s tenure with Chennai Super Kings. Under his leadership, RCB won 68 matches, lost 70, and had four no-results. His most memorable season came in 2016, when he guided the team to the IPL final while delivering a historic batting performance, amassing a record-breaking 973 runs the highest individual tally in a single IPL season.