Patidar, the eighth player of Captain RCB, stepped onto Faf du Plessis, and he was not auctioned. He recently talked about how Virat Kohli inspired him and the team, recalling the moment when Kohli presented him with a plaque.
Royal Challenger Bangalore captain Rajat Patidar recently shared his thoughts on the extraordinary moment that Virat Kohli commissioned him ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). In a candid conversation on the RCB podcast, the 31-year-old Patidar reflects on his extraordinary journey, despite the RCB management’s prior guarantee that the 2022 IPL Mega Auction was ignored in 2022’s IPL Mega Auction and now has been leading a team that continues to pursue its elusive Maiden IPL title.
Looking back on 2022, Patidar expressed a quiet confidence that he will be selected during the big auction process, highlighting the unpredictability of the sport and the challenges he faced along the way.
“I got a message (before the giant auction in IPL 2022) you’re ready…we’ll pick you. I have a little hope I’ll get another chance (for RCB). But I didn’t pick it in the big auction. I’m a little sad.” I’m a little sad. ”
“I (after I have started getting selected in the auction) started playing local competitions. Then, I got a call and said ‘We’ll pick you as the replacement Luvnith Sisodia’s replacement,’ he was hurt. Tell you frankly, tell you frankly, I don’t want to replace because I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to sit there (I don’t want to play there), I don’t want to sit there (I don’t want to play there), I don’t want to play there (I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there, and I don’t want to play there. If they didn’t pick me (during the auction), then I won’t (start to play).
Three years later, in one season, with the alleged leadership change, the RCB appoints Rajat Patidar as IPL 2025 Captain, surprises everyone.
“I have a lot of problems, for example, there are a lot of (big players) on the team. Virat Kohli is such a big player, you will do it under his leadership. I know how supportive he is (captain change). I know I have full support. Like I said, I said, it was an opportunity for me to learn. I have seen him (Kohli) since I started watching TV – in the IPL, in the Indian team, taking this from him.
“When he gave it to me, I didn’t know how to react. I held it, looked at him, and asked myself, ‘What should I do now?’ and he said, “You deserve it, you earn it.” “That calmed me down,” he recalled.
With 239 runs and a cool collection method, Patidar led the RCB in 11 games this season and won eight games. He had just led Madhya Pradesh to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final as he entered the 2025 Indian Premier League.
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