Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) new captain Rajat Patidar said on Sunday that he would like to learn the nuances of the captaincy from the charismatic captain like Virat Kohli and emphasized the importance of standing in every situation with the players of the team. Patidar, who has replaced Faf Duplesey, will be seen playing for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL 2025, which was released by the team before the mega auction.
Patidar said in the press conference, “I am aware of the position of matches, so I think it is important to support your players and to stand with them under all circumstances, so that they feel comfortable and full of confidence.”
He also informed that he will get guidance in this challenging work of captaincy from the experienced players present in RCB’s dressing room. Patidar said, “We have a group of leaders, and their experiences and ideas will definitely help in my leadership journey. This is a great opportunity for me to learn from a great player of cricket like Virat Kohli. ”
Patidar said, “I have done many partnerships with Virat, and I know him well. We are also waiting for this partnership. “
On the ongoing discussions about the captaincy of RCB, Patidar said that he had earlier expressed his desire to captain the state team of Madhya Pradesh. Patidar captained Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy last year, although most of these tournaments took place after the auction.
He said, “Last year Mo (Bobat, Cricket Director of RCB) asked me if I was interested in captaincy, then I said that I would like to captain the state team first. When I came to know that Virat or I could captain, I was very happy. “
When asked whether RCB had always chosen Patidar as captain or whether Kohli had the right to refuse earlier, RCB’s head coach Andy Flower clarified the situation. He said, “His honesty and maturity in our captaincy discussions with Virat was of very high level. He likes Rajat as a player and a person and respects him, and I think this relationship will be very important. “
Flower further said, “In the last session, Virat supported Faf Duplesi, when the team was struggling, this increased his respect for me.”
On the question of whether RCB considered other players available in the auction such as Lokesh Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer, the Flower said, “They are all the best players and leaders.” But our focus was only on creating the right team, not only looking for a person who can play the role of captaincy. ”
