RCB Captaincy Race: Rajat Patidar Leads, Krunal Pandya in Contention as Kohli Unlikely to Return

Virat Kohli is unlikely to take up the captaincy role for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli spoke with the team management during the leadership change but made it clear that he doesn’t want to be captain again. This has put the franchise in a tough situation since they planned their auction strategy assuming he might take up the role. With no external captaincy option secured during the mega auction, RCB will now have to look within their squad for a new leader.

Patidar Emerging as the Frontrunner

With Virat Kohli likely not in the race for captaincy, RCB management is in talks with senior Indian players. Among them, Rajat Patidar has emerged as the frontrunner for the role. Patidar had a stellar domestic season, leading Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where they finished as runners-up to Mumbai. His consistency with the bat finishing as the second-highest run-scorer of the season with 428 runs in nine innings has further strengthened his case.

Krunal Pandya Also in the Contention

Patidar is the front-runner for the captaincy, but Krunal Pandya is also being seriously considered. He’s shown strong leadership with Baroda in domestic cricket, and RCB has always respected his ability to lead. The management has been thinking about him for a while as a potential captain. RCB has planned a special media event on February 13 to announce the new captain. The event, attended by Director of Cricket Mo Babat, Head Coach Andy Flower, and possibly mentor-batting coach Dinesh Karthik, is expected to unveil RCB’s new captain for IPL 2025.

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