IPL 2025: Will Rajat Patidar pip Virat Kohli as captain of RCB?

As Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has released their captain Faf du Plessis ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, speculation was rife among the fans and experts that veteran batsman will be appointed as the captain of the franchise.

However, explosive batsman Rajat Patidar is currently leading Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024, where his team has entered the final.

After the brilliant performance of Madhya Pradesh in the prestigious tournament, RCB shared a post on social media recently praising Patidar for playing a key role in guiding his team to the summit clash.

Patidar has made SMAT his 𝘳𝘢𝘫 🔥

One step away from silverware. 🏆 Congratulations, Rajat, on leading MP to the final. 🙌#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #SyedMushtaqAliT20 pic.twitter.com/Xr4yJeJhar

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) December 13, 2024

“Patidar has made SMAT his 𝘳𝘢𝘫. One step away from silverware. Congratulations, Rajat, on leading MP to the final,” wrote RCB on social media account X (earlier known as Twitter).

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The post quickly went viral triggering widespread speculation among fans about Patidar potentially becoming the future captain of RCB.

As per many experts, Patidar has emerged as one of the strong contenders to lead RCB in IPL 2025 because of his outstanding performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He created history by guiding Madhya Pradesh to the summit clash of the tournament after a long gap of 13-year. 

Notably, Patidar has performed consistently for Madhya Pradesh in the prestigious domestic tournament by garnering a total of 347 runs, including four half-centuries with an impressive strike rate of 182.63.