Former Indian cricketer and chief selector Kris Srikkanth has made a bold call on Rajat Patidar’s shocking appointment as RCB captain. The Bengaluru-based IPL franchise named Patidar their new captain ahead of star batter Virat Kohli, with the cricketing lobby reacting differently to it.

Advertisment

Though RCB’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, admitted considering Kohli’s name for the leadership role, Srikkanth feels Patidar’s appointment is a smart call by the IPL franchise, so much so that he compared his promotion to the leadership group to that of MS Dhoni’s appointment as the Indian captain in 2007.

Also read | Rashid Latif hails Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, calls him bigger cricketer than Wasim Akram

Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Cheeky Cheeka’, Srikkanth said Virat must have said no to the RCB captaincy to concentrate more on his batting, while RCB must have picked Patidar after consulting the ace batter only. 

Advertisment

“I think it is Virat who said no to the captaincy. He must have wanted to focus on batting, and RCB did all of this in consultation with Virat Kohli,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel. 

Meanwhile, Kohli also congratulated Patidar on becoming the new RCB captain.

“I am here to inform everyone like the others will do as well, that Rajat Patidar is going to be the new captain of RCB. Rajat, firstly, I want to congratulate you and wish you all the very best. 

Advertisment

“The way you have grown in the franchise and the way you have performed, you have made a place in the hearts of all the fans of RCB all over India. They get excited to watch you play. 

“So, this is very well deserved. Myself and the other team members will be right behind you, and you’ll have all our support,” Kohli said in a video posted by RCB.

Patidar will be the fourth Indian captain to lead RCB in the IPL, with Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Kohli being the previous skippers.

Besides, Patidar is the second name to lead the franchise since Kohli stepped down in 2021, replacing Faf du Plessis, who captained them for three seasons from 2022 to 2024. 

Du Plessis will now represent Delhi Capitals from IPL 2025 onwards.

From MS Dhoni to Patidar

Srikkanth feels Patidar’s appointment makes sense, given he’s been a seasoned IPL campaigner, with everyone not expecting much out of his captaincy. Comparing that to Dhoni becoming the Indian skipper back in 2007, Srikkanth said,

“He (Rajat) is a good choice. He has been doing well in the IPL, and the good thing is that he will not carry a lot of expectations, like how Dhoni was appointed in 2007 as the Indian captain; not a lot was expected from his team. Rajat will take his calls, and he has Virat Kohli to consult any time.”

(With inputs from agencies)