Former India batter Robin Uthappa believes Rajat Patidar will rely on Virat Kohli’s leadership skills and will have to navigate Kohli’s immense popularity while captaining Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025. This marks Patidar’s first time leading an IPL team, following his experience captaining Madhya Pradesh to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final in 2024/25. Axar Patel will also be under scrutiny as he takes on full-time captaincy of Delhi Capitals for the first time in the IPL.
Uthappa suggests Axar Patel might be in a slightly better position due to the familiarity within the Delhi Capitals squad. He notes a similar situation for Rajat Patidar but emphasizes the presence of Virat Kohli’s superstardom in RCB. Uthappa anticipates Patidar will heavily depend on Kohli’s captaincy expertise.
However, Uthappa sees this as a unique opportunity for Rajat to guide RCB forward. He expresses excitement for teams like RCB, Kolkata Knight Riders (with Ajinkya Rahane), and Delhi Capitals, as their new captains bring fresh perspectives to build on each team’s legacy.
Uthappa, speaking to IANS before the 18th IPL season, pointed out that Rajat needs to define his leadership approach for RCB, building on his domestic cricket leadership success. He must translate this into impactful performances for RCB.
RCB’s fast bowling lineup has a new look with the addition of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam, joining retained players like Yash Dayal and Josh Hazlewood, along with Lungi Ngidi and Nuwan Thushara.
Uthappa, an IPL winner with Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, believes Axar and Patidar need to strategize for home game success, especially at venues like the M Chinnaswamy Stadium known for favoring batsmen.
Uthappa highlights the challenge of winning in home conditions, particularly in high-scoring venues like Delhi and Bengaluru that don’t traditionally offer a home advantage. He believes finding a solution to this will be a significant challenge for these leaders.
He notes that any team playing against RCB in Bengaluru faces a tough task due to the venue’s batting-friendly nature. It will require considerable effort from bowlers. However, Uthappa thinks RCB has the right bowlers for these conditions, mentioning Bhubaneswar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, and Rasikh Dar.
Uthappa believes RCB possesses a decent fast bowling attack and hopes they remain injury-free throughout the season to maintain their strength in this department.
He suggests that RCB might find it easier playing outside Bangalore, but Bengaluru will be where they face the biggest challenge, requiring significant effort from their bowling unit.
Uthappa concluded by stating that Delhi Capitals should utilize KL Rahul as an opening batsman, emphasizing his destructive potential against the new ball. Besides Rahul, DC’s opening options include vice-captain Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk.
Uthappa argues that using KL Rahul anywhere other than as an opener would be a disservice to both Rahul and the team. He strongly advocates for Rahul to open in T20 cricket, citing his exceptional talent and destructive capabilities against the new ball.
