Trolls went giddy with delight after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) announced Rajat Patidar as their new captain. "Patidar can hardly manage to play a season without getting injured. Will he handle himself or the team?" they mockingly reacted. The decision to appoint Patidar also drew mixed reactions from the RCB fans who were looking forward to Virat Kohli returning as the franchise's captain. While the batter had displayed streaks of brilliance for RCB, there were questions marks regarding his ability to handle the magnitude of the role, considering the weight of expectations from the franchise.
However, the 32-year-old cricketer has delivered a fitting response to his critics, converting RCB into a rock-solid franchise. The same team which crumbled at the slightest of pressure has transformed into a dominant side that gets the job done in a composed manner. RCB are currently third on the points table following four wins in six matches. Patidar has led from the front, backing his teammates through thick and thin.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "His captaincy style is a mixture of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Patidar stays calm but is aggressive at the same time in terms of his intent and hunger to win. RCB are playing with a lot of positivity this season. Patidar has always been extremely keen to learn and attempts to grasp as much as possible in every situation. His captaincy skills were also witnessed during the 2024/25 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where Madhya Pradesh reached the tournament's final. Patidar is extremely mature and confident as a captain," said former Madhya Pradesh batter Devendra Bundela during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.
Patidar's childhood coach Amay Khurasiya hailed the 32-year-old cricketer's utmost focus and work ethics, highlighting his complete commitment towards cricket.
"The new intellect in the world is focus and if you have focus, then you have this gargantuan advantage which I felt he had because he was quite clear with his focus and work ethics. Patidar is also quite aggressive internally and a very good thinker of the game. The questions that come to you when you work on a player's technique set the standards of his thinking. Patidar grabs the maximum out of you with his intellect," said Khurasiya.
The RCB captain has suffered his fair share of setbacks over the years, battling multiple injuries.
"See, there is something in every player which is a player's own way of bouncing back. So when you're down and out, what is your metamorphosis? That is where you're defined. That's where Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were defined. That's where Virat Kohli is defined. When you are facing a crisis, finding an opportunity in the crisis is a very strong individual call," said Khurasiya.
"When you're smashed for a six or hit by a bouncer on your head, you have to get up and still face those 11 people who are coming up against you. That's where I think Patidar has bounced back very often. There are setbacks and there are comebacks. He has pulled off a lot of comebacks with injuries and also through setbacks," he added.
Patidar's childhood friend Abhishek Pathrod termed the cricketer's patience as his biggest weapon in overcoming obstacles.
"He executes every single aspect in the most appropriate manner after thinking things through. Rajat suffered injuries at crucial intervals. People used to keep asking him, 'When will you get fit?'. He would calmly respond, 'Healing and recovery will take its own time, which I can't change'. Discipline has further been a key factor in his growth and development," he stated.
RCB head coach Andy Flower interestingly remarked that his team's captain has a certain sense of stubbornness in his personality. "I've seen it myself when I'm trying to coach Patidar in the nets and he won't listen to me," said Flower.
"That is something called confidence in life. I'll not say he's adamant or stubborn. Once you have a lot of self-belief and confidence in what you're doing, then you tend to ignore a lot of advice which you feel doesn't suit your game. That is where your job starts as the coach. You have to think ahead and make the player understand why a particular thing is important," stated Khurasiya, sharing his perspective.
The Kerala cricket team head coach backed RCB to win their maiden IPL title under Patidar's captaincy.
"I think RCB will win the IPL under Patidar. It will happen maybe this year or next year but I think it should happen for them. Virat Kohli's IPL trophy cabinet is empty. He would like to have this cabinet full of IPL trophies as well," he said.
"There are two great friends or weapons, you can say, about individuals. One is patience, other is time. Patidar has both of them. Then, I believe in the third one which is the profoundness that you have to get into that dimension where time is your friend. When you get into the zone is when success starts coming to you. The third dimension is a philosophical one, but it is a very important one," added Khurasiya.