Many fans believed that Kohli might be returned as the captain of Royal Challenger Banglore (RCB) for IPL 2025 after the team released the former captain, Faf du Plessis. But RCB has surprised fans by appointing Rajat Patidar as their new captain ahead of IPL 2025.
Recently, RCB’s wicket-keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma shared that Kohli has no interest in leading the team again. “I got to know about Rajat Patidar becoming the captain when everyone else got to know. But when you have been around the game for a while, you understand the flow of things. Virat bhai did not want to captain the side.” Jitesh said on the CricXtasy podcast.
Jitesh clarified that he was not sure about the exact reason, but Kohli’s extended break from captaincy forced him to make this decision.
RCB’s Decision to Appoint Rajat Patidar
RCB appointed Rajat Patidar to lead the team for the first time in its history. Patidar has been playing for RCB for several years and is now ready to guide the team.
Jitesh Sharma expressed confidence in Patidar’s captaincy role, saying, “Rajat definitely deserves the captaincy. He has provided his services to RCB for many years. I have played a lot of cricket with Rajat. I would definitely help him with the captaincy.”
This season, RCB has made big changes to the squad by releasing key players like Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Siraj, and Faf du Plessis and adding new names to strengthen it.
RCB Management and Andy Flower on Kohli’s Role in RCB 2025
RCB Team Director Mo Bobat confirmed that the team is considering giving Kohli the captaincy, but after a discussion, they decided to hand it over to Rajat Patidar.
RCB head coach Andy Flower also spoke about Kohli’s leadership. He praised Kohli for his honesty and maturity in handling situations.
“In our discussions with Virat, I thought the integrity and maturity he showed was exceptional. One of the things that stood out was the energy and passion with which he is looking forward to this IPL. He obviously likes Rajat and respects him both as a person and a player.” Andy Flower said.
Flower also recalled how Kohli helped RCB come back last season after their bad start.
RCB IPL 2025: Full Squad
Here is the entire squad of RCB for IPL 2025:
| Category | Players |
| Batters | Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David |
| All-rounders | Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell |
| Wicketkeepers | Jitesh Sharma, Phil Salt |
| Bowlers | Josh Hazlewood, Lungi Ngidi, Nuwan Thushara, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Manoj Bhandage |
| Uncapped Players | Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee |
