Rajat Patidar shakes his head in amusement when probed about a tactical move he cherishes from the IPL, in a show with RCB Bold Diaries. “Aise kuch nahin,” Rajat Patidar says, trying to shake off the question, before he fishes out favourite moment.
“It was during the second league game against Punjab Kings. Prabhsimran Singh was taking the fast bowlers apart when I thought of bringing a spinner. He was hitting in a flow, and off-pace could disrupt it,” he explained his reasoning. Rajat Patidar introduced left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya who immediately got the wicket.
The incident offered a peep into Rajat Patidar’s thought stream. His plans are not grand or elaborate, but simple, practical and designed on the move. And on Tuesday, he led RCB to the promised land, delivering the franchise’s first ever IPL trophy.
Rajat Patidar’s career highlights and his journey with IPL 2025 Champions RCB
Rajat Patidar even made his debut for India last year, in the home series against England, but after scores of 32, 9, 5, 17 and two ducks, he was dropped. But his real talent lies in T20 cricket. Recently, Rajat Patidar led Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where his side lost to Shreyas Iyer-led Mumbai. The right-handed batter Rajat Patidar has been in phenomenal form, hitting spinners for fun.
Rajat Patidar was the second-highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 428 runs in nine innings at an average of 61.14 and strike rate of 186.08. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he made 226 runs at an average of 56.50 and strike rate of 107.10.
Rajat Patidar, one of the three players to be retained, first joined RCB in IPL 2021, where he played just four matches and scored 71 runs. He then once again joined the franchise in 2022 as a replacement for the injured Luvnith Sisodia for INR 20 lakh, and scored 333 runs, with his highest score being 112 not out.
His knock came in the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The right-hander then missed the 2023 season due to an injury. In the last season, Rajat Patidar managed 395 runs at an average of 30.38 and a strike rate of 177.13.
However, he was released from the squad ahead of the 2022 season and went unsold at the auctions. An unfortunate injury to Luvnith Sisodia during the 2022 season, allowed Rajat Patidar another chance with the RCB as a replacement player. He made a strong impression, scoring 333 runs in 8 innings, including a century, and since then became an integral part of the side.
Rajat Patidar’s appointment is a fresh direction for the Royal Challengers, who have been led by Virat Kohli and du Plessis over the years. Kohli first captained the team in May 2011, stepping in for Daniel Vettori who was not available for three matches. He took over full-time captaincy of the team in 2012 and led the team until the 2021 season.
Few expected Patidar to be in the race to become the next captain after RCB had ended ties with Faf du Plessis last October, before the mega auction. The general expectation and the media speculation largely hinted at Virat Kohli’s return to captaincy since stepping down from the role in 2021.
Under Kohli’s captaincy, RCB made the playoffs in 2015 and were the runners-up in the subsequent year, a season in which the star batter scored a record 973 runs. They also reached the playoffs stage in 2020 and 2021. Royal Challengers also made the playoffs in two seasons in the 2022-24 cycle, when du Plessis was the captain of the side after Kohli stepped down. The senior Indian batter, however, captained the team in three matches in 2023, standing in for du Plessis who was recovering from a rib injury and featured only as an Impact Player.
RCB looked well-balanced on the field and produced clinical performances, with Rajat Patidar showed great signs as a skipper.The long wait finally ended on Tuesday. For 18 years, the phrase “Ee Sala Cup Namde” transformed from a passionate cheer to a punchline for trolls. However, as Rajat Patidar surprisingly took over the role, many doubted his ability to lead the Indian star, not having led an IPL franchise before. However, the 32-year-old led RCB to their maiden IPL title, thus ending their long anticipation.
RCB had come close to the elusive IPL trophy three times before—most recently in 2016—but it was in 2025 that the drought ended. In his first season as captain, Rajat Patidar led the side to their maiden title, as RCB edged out Punjab Kings by six runs in a thrilling final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Rajat Patidar’s RCB beats Punjab Kings by 6 runs
Punjab Kings bowlers did everything they could to restrict Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 190 for nine. But their batters failed to get the job done. RCB managed to get over the line despite not having the best time with the bat. Virat Kohli top-scored with 43 off 35 balls while skipper Rajat Patidar couldn’t build on a good start, managing 26 off 16 balls. For Punjab Kings, Yuzvendra Chahal was brilliant with figures of 1/37 in 4 overs, while Kyle Jamieson had the figures of 3 for 48.
Krunal Pandya turned the pressure on PBKS, dismissing impact sub Prabhsimran Singh, even as they made 52/1 in the powerplay, before Bhuvneshwar shut the doors on Punjab when he got rid of Nehal Wadhera and Marcus Stoinis in a span of three deliveries in the 17th over and thereon, RCB’s triumph was only a formality.
Head coach Andy Flower paid “tremendous respect” to Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar after the team ended an 18-year wait for the coveted Indian Premier League trophy on Tuesday, June 3.
Coach Andy Flower praises skipper Rajat Patidar after IPL 2025 Finals
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower was all praise for captain Rajat Patidar after he led the team to their maiden IPL title with a six-run win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Ahmedabad.
Rajat Patidar has played only four international games for India, but Flower said Patidar didn’t allow his lack of experience to impact his “tricky job” of leading an RCB side with a mix of youth and experience. The Zimbabwean saluted how well Patidar’s calmness and maturity shone through in high-pressure moments, inspiring an aggressive brand of cricket that saw RCB pack a collective punch and finally claim the prized silverware.
“One of the most impressive things about what Rajat has done this year is, as an inexperienced captain, that he hasn’t been affected by it,” Flower said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“I don’t think it has affected his batting because I’ve watched him closely as a character, and he is still the lovely, gentle, polite Rajat Patidar that we knew last year. He hasn’t changed at all in that regard.”
“Captaining RCB is a tricky job. If I cast my mind back to how poorly I captained when I was his age, I’ve got tremendous respect for how he’s held himself with all that scrutiny and captained some big players.
“You can’t underestimate the calmness he showed in leading some huge players, a really big franchise, making good decisions out there in the middle under the pressure that RCB players play under. So I’ve got tons of respect for him. I’m proud of the way that he’s carried himself, and he’s been crucial to us doing well.”
Rajat Patidar also played his part in the batting department. While most of the accolades were reserved for RCB’s top scorers – Virat Kohli and Phil Salt with 657 and 403 runs, respectively, the captain’s critical cameos alongside other vital middle-order contributors throughout the season propelled RCB to above-par scores.
He finished with 312 runs at a strike rate of 143.77. Rajat Patidar also showed his temperament during the campaign, overcoming late injury concerns to guide RCB past the strenuous playoffs stage thus becoming the first captain to guid IPL to the final destination of winning the coveted IPL Trophy after 18 long years wait…
Also Read: RCB vs PBKS : Virat Kohli Pours His Heart Out Post RCB Winning IPL 2025