The Virat Kohli Factor Behind Rajat Patidars Historic Captaincy Run
Rajat Patidar is the most successful captain for RCB in the IPL history. But that would not have been possible if the Virat Kohli factor didn't exist when he was announced as the skipper. As RCB heads to consecutive finals, Harsha Bhogle explained Kohli's backing on Patidar.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been the most consistent team in the Indian Premier League over the last two seasons. Under his captaincy, RCB was able to end its 9 season wait of reaching the finals and 17 seasons wait to win the trophy. It has not even been a year since the team won the title, as they are now headed to another.
Amidst this, fans do remember the time when a new captain for the team was announced. It happened after 2024, when Faf du Plessis was released by the team. Virat Kohli, the most experienced player in the IPL history, made the announcement that Rajat Patidar will be the new captain of the team.
Harsha Bhogle talked about the importance of Kohli's backing. He said, “Virat Kohli himself announcing and welcoming Rajat Patidar as the New RCB Captain was a big part because Virat was happy with that. We've seen when senior players are unhappy with the new captain it destroys the whole team.”
Our Take
Virat Kohli's backing of Rajat Patidar has paid off well to the King. He happily announced Patidar as the new skipper of the team, and he even paid Kohli off by ensuring the fact that he gets to hold the IPL title and enter the season as the defending champions. Patidar became the reason why Kohli, who cried after 2016 loss, cried the tears of joy after the 2025 win.