New Delhi: Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has released their captain Faf du Plessis ahead of the mega auction for the upcoming season. The Bengaluru-based franchise will now need to appoint a new captain for the 2025 edition, which is scheduled to begin on March 14.
Patidar is currently leading Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024, where his team has made a strong push into the final. Following MP’s impressive run in the tournament, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) shared a post on social media, praising Patidar for playing a key role in guiding his team to the finale. The post quickly went viral, sparking widespread speculation among fans about Patidar potentially becoming the future captain of the franchise.
Patidar has made SMAT his
One step away from silverware. Congratulations, Rajat, on leading MP to the final. #PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #SyedMushtaqAliT20 pic.twitter.com/Xr4yJeJhar
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) December 13, 2024
Rajat Patidar has emerged as one of the strong contenders to lead RCB in the upcoming IPL season, thanks to his outstanding performances in the SMAT. He made history by leading Madhya Pradesh to the final of the tournament after a 13-year gap. Patidar was a consistent performer for MP, amassing 347 runs, including four half-centuries, at an impressive strike rate of 182.63.
Patidar, who made his IPL debut with RCB in 2021, has been retained by the franchise at INR 11.00 Crore. So far, he has played 27 matches, scoring 799 runs at an impressive average of 34.74.
Rajat Patidar has played 27 IPL matches so far, accumulating 799 runs at an average of 34.74 and a strike rate of 158.85. His highest score is an unbeaten 112*. In the 2024 season, he played 15 matches, scoring 395 runs at an average of 30.38 and a strike rate of 177.13, with 5 fifties and 33 sixes. In 2022, Patidar had a standout season with 333 runs from 8 matches, including a career-best 112* (average 55.50, strike rate 152.75), scoring 2 fifties and hitting 27 fours. In 2021, he played 4 matches, scoring 71 runs with a highest of 31 at an average of 17.75 and a strike rate of 114.51.
