RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat reveals how Virat Kohli’s ‘blessing’ led to Rajat Patidar’s appointment as captain for IPL 2025

In 2025, Rajat Patidar took charge of RCB and ended the franchise’s 18-year drought by securing its first-ever trophy. Virat Kohli, the legendary former captain of RCB, played a significant role in Patidar’s achievement, as fans had anticipated Kohli would continue as captain. In a surprising turn of events, Patidar was named the official skipper of the team.

Recently, Mo Bobat, the Director of RCB, revealed how Virat Kohli was instrumental in the decision to appoint Rajat Patidar as the captain of RCB. In an interview with Cricbuzz, Bobat recounted his discussion with Kohli: “We spoke with Virat Kohli that Patidar was going to be the new captain and Virat said, ‘100% I’m there to help. It’s in all of our interests if Rajat succeeds. Let’s give this a go’. It was brilliant to have Virat’s blessing and his approval,” Bobat revealed.

“Andy 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. 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, which can be deemed as pressure for others, but these guys are there and they take it in their stride. So, he was confident that Rajat was accustomed to that,” he said.

Undoubtedly, Virat Kohli played a crucial role with the bat during the inaugural season victory of the red and gold jerseys. Over the course of 15 matches, Kohli accumulated 657 runs, boasting an impressive average of 54.75, making him one of the top scorers for the franchise.

On the memorable night of their victory, Rajat Patidar openly acknowledged Kohli’s contributions, dedicating the trophy to him and the fans. “As I mentioned, I believe no one else deserves this as much as he (Virat Kohli) does. This is for all the fans,” Patidar expressed to reporters just before the IPL 2025 final.

RCB secured the championship by a narrow margin of 6 runs, led by Patidar, while a devastated Punjab Kings fell short of claiming their first title. Kohli was the standout performer for his team, scoring 43 in the match, while Krunal Pandya shone with his remarkable figures of 2/17, which shifted the momentum of the game.

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