Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif was shocked that Virat Kohli did not become the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League. The Bengaluru-based franchise announced their new captain ahead of the season, handing Rajat Patidar the leadership role.
Speaking on his YouTube show, Kaif said that he was a little surprised by the decision taken by RCB. Kaif mentioned that given RCB released Faf du Plessis last season, they would hand over the captaincy to a senior member of the team. However, Kaif claimed that there was no way Kohli would not have played a part in the Madhya Pradesh batter becoming the captain, given he effectively runs the team.
“I was a little surprised. I thought Virat Kohli would lead RCB, given they did not retain Faf du Plessis. I thought Kohli was effectively running RCB. Even if he is not the captain of the side, it is his job to tell the management to buy certain players and back them. So, if Patidar has become captain, Virat Kohli is behind it. That franchise has not won a single trophy in 18 years, but Kohli is still with them. That’s how much RCB respect him; that’s how much RCB value Virat’s brand,” Mohammed Kaif said.
“If Kohli did not become the captain and Rajat Patidar did, then certainly he is behind that. Kohli is 37; he must have wanted to focus on his batting and wanted a young player to lead the side, keeping the franchise’s future in mind. But it will be difficult for Patidar,” he added.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore had retained only three players going into the IPL auction 2025. Alongside Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar and Yash Dayal were the two players trusted by RCB for their future plans. The team bought a host of all-rounders in Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, and Krunal Pandya to bolster their middle order, and also bought some premium pacers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood.
