Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif is shocked by Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) unexpected selection of Rajat Patidar as their new captain ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Given Virat Kohli’s lengthy history with the team, Kaif had anticipated that the former RCB captain would take back the captaincy when Faf du Plessis left.
In a video broadcast on X (previously Twitter), Kaif, who played in the IPL from 2008 to 2012 for teams including the Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), and RCB, expressed his opinions. Despite not being the formal captain, he stated that he still thinks Kohli has a significant impact on the team.
Since they chose not to retain Faf du Plessis, I assumed Virat Kohli would be the one. Virat Kohli may have had some chats, I thought. The problem is that Virat Kohli is leading the squad. The team must choose the players he wants or intends to support, thus even if he is not the captain, it is his responsibility. Kohli will undoubtedly have contributed to that as well if Patidar is the captain, Kaif said.
Despite RCB’s 18-year IPL championship drought, Patidar was chosen for the position. Nonetheless, Kohli has continued to play a key role in the organization, greatly enhancing its reputation and impact. Despite their failure to win an IPL championship, Kaif praised Kohli’s steadfast devotion to the squad.
Kaif went on to say that RCB’s choice to name a younger captain could have been made strategically so that 37-year-old Kohli could concentrate on his individual performances rather than the additional duties of leadership.
I was a little taken aback when he declined to assume the captaincy. He may be looking for a long-term team leader while he concentrates on his contributions on the field and with the bat, as seen by his selection of a youthful captain, Kaif continued.
RCB will be hopeful that this new captaincy move would put an end to their protracted quest for their first IPL championship, with Patidar assuming the leading role. The squad and its supporters are looking forward to the next season to see how this change in leadership affects the team’s on-field performance.
