Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower has revealed that there has been no official conversation regarding the captaincy of the franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Having assembled a squad that doesn’t have many big names, it was expected that Virat Kohli would take a captaincy retirement U-turn.
AB de Villiers backs Virat Kohli to captain RCB once again
Kohli took over the leadership role in 2013 and announced at the end of the 2021 IPL season that he’ll step down as RCB captain after 9 seasons. The move coincided with his decision to remove himself from the captaincy burden of the Indian cricket team as well.
Kohli’s former RCB teammate and good friend, AB de Villiers, had also backed the former skipper. “I don’t think it has been confirmed yet, but he will be the captain, I think, looking at the squad,” ABD had said a couple of days after the IPL 2025 auction.
Rajat Patidar interested in leadership
However, Rajat Patidar‘s name was also thrown into the mix. Recently, he has led Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and has expressed interest in doing so in the IPL as well. “Of course, if I get an opportunity to lead RCB, that is what I am there for, and I will be happy,” he had said in December.
RCB undecided on captain for IPL 2025
However, Andy Flower and the RCB management haven’t taken a decision on captaincy yet. “Well, you’re going to have to wait for the outcome. It’s a new era that we are going into, the start of a three-year cycle, and I’m sure the anticipation will be good for you,” Flower told Sports Tak.
“You can ask me as often as you like, but that communication has not happened yet,” said the Gulf Giants head coach from Dubai.
RCB squad for IPL 2025
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal, Liam Livingstone✈️, Phil Salt✈️, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood✈️, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David✈️, Romario Shepherd✈️, Nuwan Thushara✈️, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell✈️, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi ✈️, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee
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