The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pulled off some serious decisions ahead of the IPL 2025 season and released the majority of the players. The only retained players were Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar and Yash Dayal and Faf du Plessis was released. This move raised a lot of speculation that Kohli would be back as the captain.
RCB Coach Confirms Kohli’s Input in Captaincy Call
There were rumours that RCB had not consulted Kohli in the appointment of Rajat Patidar as the captain and Andy Flower and Mo Bobat director of cricket clarified that Kohli had been consulted. This was a historic step as Patidar became the ninth captain in the history of IPL to win a title with his team.
Bobat stated that he listened to the opinion of Kohli in making the move. “Andy (Flower) and I went and visited Virat. He was playing in Ahmedabad for India at the time. We told him what we were thinking, and he really liked the idea as well,” Bobat told Cricbuzz.
Bobat also claimed that Kohli supported Patidar because he had a great respect towards his temperament. “Virat has a huge amount of respect for Rajat as a player, as a person. He knows that Rajat understands the franchise and understands what it takes to be an RCB player.”
RCB Director Highlights Kohli’s Guidance
Being a captain in the IPL was a stress on its own, even though Patidar had experience of captaining before. CB Director Bobat acknowledged that it was not an easy task to manage a lineup which consisted of Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David, and Phil Salt.
That is where the influence of Kohli came in handy. “And also, we spoke with Virat, and we talked about the fact that Rajat was going to be new to captaincy. He was going to need all of our help. That’s the reality,” Bobat explained.
Kohli promised to have the complete support of the management. “Virat said, ‘Look, 100%, I’m there to help. It’s in all of our interests if Rajat succeeds. Let’s give this a go.’ So, it’s brilliant to have Virat’s blessing and his approval because he’s an important person and player in our environment,” Bobat said.
Virat Kohli’s Mentorship for Rajat Patidar
During the season, Kohli was a mentor, but he did not dominate the leadership of Patidar. Bobat lauded the way the batting legend had the right balance of mentorship and independence.
“And it was brilliant this year watching Virat support him and be there for him. He empowered him. He let Rajat make his decisions, but he was also on hand with ideas and suggestions on and off,” Bobat noted.
This constant encouragement provided Patidar with the courage to lead. The presence of Kohli gave the young captain some breathing space but still he had one of the greats in cricket to fall back on when he needed some advice.
Leadership Shared Across the RCB Squad
The RCB Coach underlined that Kohli was not the only one who could help Patidar adjust but there were other older heads. Jitesh Sharma also formed a good relationship with the captain and Krunal Pandya provided leadership qualities.
Even the international stars came forward according to Bobat. A leadership group comprising of Hazlewood, Salt, and Tim David also supported Patidar and did not make him feel he had to do everything on his own. “There’s a lot of leaderful characters there and they all did their bit to help Rajat out,” he added.
Patidar became a confident leader with the help of the support of RCB Coach, Director, Kohli, and senior teammates. The risky decision of the franchise to part ways with Faf du Plessis and entrust a new captain was worth the investment as it culminated in the franchise winning the IPL.
ALSO READ: BCCI To Overhaul Selection Committee: 3-Time IPL Winning Legend To Get New Role
