Even as Virat Kohli was one of the contenders to lead RCB, Rajat Patidar has been given the nod due to the former's poor record as captain. Having led RCB in 143 games from 2013 to 2021, he could only manage 66 wins in those with no title victory.
With Virat Kohli set to turn 37 this year and Patidar only 31 now, RCB also looked to the future. A younger captain means he has time on his hands to build a team.
Patidar also displayed his captaincy credentials for Madhya Pradesh in SMAT 2024, lifting his side to the final. He also shone with the bat, mustering 428 runs in nine innings.
With Virat Kohli not taking up captaincy, he will be free of responsibilities and focus on scoring runs. It was evident in IPL 2024 as he aggregated 741 runs to take the Orange Cap.
With Rajat Patidar not part of the Indian side currently unlike Kohli, there are zero chances of him skipping matches. Hence, factors like workload management are unlikely to come into the picture.
Rajat Patidar's best IPL came innings against the Lucknow Super Giants during the Eliminator Clash against Kolkata when he mustered 112 off 54 balls. Overall, he has 799 runs in 27 IPL games.
RCB reached the top four in IPL 2024 and lost to the Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator.