"I think they should look at Rajat Patidar to take over that role" - Robin Uthappa backs RCB's retained batter to lead the franchise in IPL 2025 

Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa feels that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) should turn towards Rajat Patidar as a leadership option amid transition within the side. The three-time finalists are in the hunt for a new captain after releasing Faf du Plessis ahead of the 2025 mega auction.

Virat Kohli has been one of the names linked with the vacant leadership position. However, RCB director of cricket, Mo Babat, has downplayed those rumors, which leaves the franchise with the task of finding a new skipper through the mega auction, a predicament that they were faced with following the culmination of the previous cycle too.

Uthappa opined that instead of relying on the auction pool for a captain, where a lot could go wrong, they should trust Rajat Patidar at this stage itself.

"I think they should look at Rajat Patidar to take over that role because it seems like you need a new leader after two years. So, you might as well do it now to get ahead of the curve and build a captain for the next three to five years. Rajat is one of those players who can actually play that role for them," Uthappa said on JioCinema (via ANI).

Rajat Patidar showed how big of a miss he was during the 2023 season, by being a major force in the middle-order during the 2024 edition. He played a huge part in RCB's stunning comeback in the second half of the season and is the Indian batter in the setup apart from Virat Kohli that the franchise were quite desperate for.

---

RCB retained Rajat Patidar for INR 11 crore ahead of the mega auction

Rajat Patidar was the second on RCB's retention list after Virat Kohli. The right-handed batter was retained for a sum of INR 11 crore, after making 27 appearances for the franchise since his debut in the 2021 season.

His exploits in the IPL led to a spike in his domestic displays which eventually led to a national call-up. He played in three Tests and one ODI, and is currently playing for Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy after an underwhelming Duleep Trophy campaign.