Legendary cricketer Virat Kohli showered praises on Rajat Patidar after RCB won their maiden IPL title under his leadership. He noted Patidar’s humble beginnings to an IPL-winning captain now. Notably, RCB beat PBKS by six runs to win the title.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings by six runs to lift their maiden IPL title. After the game, star batter Virat Kohli showered praises on Rajat Patidar, who became the first captain to help RCB cross the distance, that too in his very first edition at the helm of things. Notably, Patidar joined RCB in IPL 2021, but he was released ahead of the mega-auction in 2022.
He failed to grab any bid in the auction as Patidar went unsold. However, after Luvnith Sisodia was ruled out due to an injury in the 2022 season, RCB resigned Patidar and since then, he has been one of the most important players for the team. In 2024, the Infode-born made 395 runs in 15 matches and played a massive role in RCB’s resurgence as they qualified for the playoffs.
In IPL 2025, Patidar was handed the captaincy baton and interestingly, the 32-year-old had a stunning time, as Kohli praised him heavily after the title win. He reminded Patidar’s poor beginning when he was signed as a replacement player; from that, he went on to become an IPL-winning captain in three years.
“What a turnaround, injury replacement to IPL-winning captain, bloody hell. That’s a turnaround,” Kohli said in a video released by RCB. Later, the 36-year-old was also seen gifting a bat to Patidar and added that the cricketer was extremely composed under pressure and added that he led from the front.
“Taking up the job so well, Rajat – led from the front. Led with composure, his bowling changes, his calmness under pressure was absolutely phenomenal throughout the tournament. He has got his really balanced personality, which really helps him stay calm under pressure,” Kohli said.
Meanwhile, RCB have confirmed a victory parade on June 4 to celebrate the success. The parade will be from Vidhana Soudha to M Chinnaswamy Stadium via open-top bus, followed by a celebration at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.