"Don't think what Virat Kohli would have done" - Aakash Chopra on the opportunities for RCB players in IPL 2025

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that IPL 2025 presents Rajat Patidar with a great opportunity as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper. He urged the recently appointed captain not to try to emulate Virat Kohli's approach as skipper.

Patidar (₹11 crore) was among three players retained by RCB ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Kohli (₹21 crore) and Yash Dayal (₹5 crore) being the other two. The Madhya Pradesh batter was subsequently appointed the franchise's skipper for the upcoming edition of the prestigious league.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener chose Patidar as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru player with the greatest opportunity in IPL 2025 and urged him to retain his individuality while leading the side.

"The biggest opportunity is for Rajat Patidar. What will you expect from him? He did well for MP (Madhya Pradesh), took the team to the final in SMAT (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy), and the team looked towards you and said they are planning for the next four to five years. However, do they actually invest that much? That question always remains," he said (9:15).

"They have a legacy of good captains. Don't think what Virat Kohli would have done. When a player of such huge stature is part of the team, you look towards him. He has also captained this team for eight overs. So you suddenly think what Virat would have done in a particular situation," Chopra added.

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that Patidar has the chance to lead RCB to their maiden IPL title.

"There would be a lot of pressure on you if you go with that thinking because you will never chart your own course. It's important to make your own way. Virat Kohli is a part of that team, you don't have to captain like Virat Kohli. So opportunities for him. He can actually create history. If he does what has not happened to date - Wow," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra expressed hope that captaincy shouldn't adversely impact Rajat Patidar's batting. He noted that the franchise won't be able to achieve anything if that happens.

---

"I am very excited about Rasikh Dar Salam's potential" - Aakash Chopra on the other RCB players with opportunities in IPL 2025

RCB bought Rasikh Dar for ₹6 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. [P/C: iplt20.com]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra picked Rasikh Dar among the Royal Challengers Bengaluru players with huge opportunities in IPL 2025.

"I am very excited about Rasikh Dar Salam's potential. He bowls at the death and bowls back-of-the-hand slower ones and yorkers. He does not have that much pace, but he is solid. He can also come as an Impact Player. Delhi used him extremely well and he picked up wickets at the death. So I think it's a great opportunity for him," he said (11:35).

The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player added that Devdutt Padikkal could have a great season with RCB if he gets enough opportunities.

"I don't know how many chances Devdutt Padikkal would get, but if he gets them, again it's a huge opportunity and possibility. When he played for this team, he even scored a century with Virat Kohli at the Wankhede ground. Maybe it could be an excellent season for Devdutt Padikkal, provided he gets enough opportunities," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra named Bhuvneshwar Kumar as another RCB player with a massive opportunity in IPL 2025. He pointed out that the Bengaluru-based franchise has played a massive punt on the veteran seamer and made him the centerpiece of its strategy.