By Arya Pathak
Rajat Patidar has been appointed as the captain of RCB, becoming the eighth captain in the franchise’s history. He has been part of RCB for the past three years and has played a key role in the team. His ability to handle spin effectively has made him an essential middle-order batsman for RCB.
This will be Patidar’s first captaincy role in the IPL, although he has previously led Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the Malwa Panthers in the Madhya Pradesh League. His statistics with the franchise are impressive—he has played 27 matches, scored 799 runs, maintained a strike rate of 158.85, and has an average of 34.74. His highest score for RCB was 112 against LSG in the IPL 2022 Eliminator.
The announcement was made at an event in Bengaluru, where RCB’s head coach Andy Flower, co-director Mo Bobat, and Rajat Patidar were present. Patidar is currently in good form, having finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He amassed 226 runs at a strike rate of 107.10 and an impressive average of 56.50.
Upon his appointment as captain, Patidar expressed his excitement, stating, “I’m really excited and grateful for this opportunity. RCB is a massive franchise, and it feels amazing to be entrusted with this responsibility. Being with this team has given me so much confidence. I’ll do my best to lead the team to success, and I look forward to working with the coaches and players to achieve our goals.”
With Patidar’s appointment, only two teams—Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals—are yet to announce their captains.
