Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has appointed Rajat Patidar as the captain for the upcoming IPL 2025 season. The franchise made the announcement at an event at the KSCA on Thursday, February 13.

Patidar, a 31-year-old middle-order batter, will be the eighth cricketer to lead RCB in IPL history. His appointment comes after the team released former captain Faf du Plessis ahead of the 2025 season. Patidar, who captained Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this season, will now take charge of the Bengaluru-based franchise.

Having made his IPL debut in 2021, Patidar has been a crucial part of RCB’s batting lineup. In 27 matches for the franchise, he has scored 799 runs at an impressive strike rate of 158.85. Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, RCB retained Patidar for ₹11 crore alongside Virat Kohli and Yash Dayal.

Welcome to your Raj, Ra-pa. 👑

The baton has been passed, and your name has made it to the history books.

It’s time for a new chapter! Let’s give the best fans in the world what they’ve been waiting for all these years. 🙌 #PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #RCBCaptain #Rajat #RajatPatidar… pic.twitter.com/AKwjM9bnsq

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) February 13, 2025

Patidar’s appointment marks a new chapter for RCB, which has previously been led by stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. Kohli first captained RCB in 2011, taking over full-time in 2012 and leading the team until 2021. Under his leadership, RCB reached the playoffs multiple times, including a runner-up finish in 2016. In the last IPL cycle (2022-24), du Plessis took over the reins, guiding the team to playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023. Kohli also stepped in as stand-in captain for three matches in 2023 when du Plessis was recovering from a rib injury.

List of Captains for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in T20s

With Patidar now at the helm, RCB will look to rebuild and aim for their maiden IPL title in the 2025 season.