Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar, who propelled the franchise to two consecutive IPL title wins in the 2025 and 2026 seasons, has revealed that he has received a lot of backing from the talismanic Indian batter Virat Kohli when it came to captaincy.
Patidar took over the captaincy of the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 season after Faf du Plessis was left out of the team. Notably, he was strongly recommended by Kohli to be elevated as the new captain.
“If your idol backs you, then you don’t need anything more. You don’t need anyone else’s support. I used to notice everything about him when he batted. From what he did on the ground to what his routine was off the field. Later, I came to know he backed me a lot, including when it came to captaincy,” Patidar said on Sports Launchpad.
Further, Patidar admitted that being an RCB captain isn’t an easy job, considering the expectations from the fans of the franchise. He went on to add that he received a lot of support and backing from the legendary player Kohli.
“It is not easy to hand someone the RCB captaincy, considering the fans and the expectations. He must have seen something in me. I don’t know what, but I have received a lot of support from him in the team, as a player and as a captain,” he added.
In the IPL 2025 season, under Patidar’s captaincy, RCB ended their 18-year wait for the IPL title, as they defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the grand finale to lift their maiden silverware.
Later in IPL 2026, RCB stunned Gujarat Titans (GT) in both Qualifier 1 and the grand finale to secure their second consecutive title. Thus, Patidar became only the third captain to win two consecutive IPL titles.
