Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) new recruit Jitesh Sharma has revealed why the franchise has gone to Rajat Patidar over star player Virat Kohli for captaincy. The wicketkeeper shared insights about the team dynamics for the IPL 2025. He hinted that Virat Kohli chose not to lead the team this season. With Faf du Plessis letting go before the mega-auction, RCB needed a new leader. Rajat Patidar, who has been with the team since 2021, was named the captain.
Jitesh Sharma’s on Virat Kohli’s captaincy
Jitesh Sharma discussed this change on the CricXtasy podcast. He mentioned, “I got to know about Rajat Patidar becoming the captain when everyone else got to know. But when you have been around the game for a while, you understand the flow of things. Virat bhai did not want to captain the side.” Although he speculated on Kohli’s reasons, he made it clear that he wasn’t involved in the management decisions.
Jitesh’s role and transfer
RCB acquired Jitesh Sharma for a significant sum of Rs 11 crore. Previously, Punjab Kings released him, which sparked a bidding war that quickly raised his price to Rs 7 crore. Punjab Kings used their Right to Match card, but RCB was determined to have him as Dinesh Karthik’s replacement. Jitesh expressed his eagerness to support Rajat Patidar on the field, highlighting their shared history in cricket. “Rajat definitely deserves the captaincy. He has given his services to RCB for so many years. I have played a lot of cricket with Rajat. I would definitely help him with the captaincy,” he added.
More on cricket
- New Zealand vs Pakistan 3rd T20I LIVE streaming: Where to watch NZ vs PAK match
- Pakistan vs New Zealand 3rd T20I LIVE scorecard: PAK to bowl first
- Do CSK have the best spin unit in IPL 2025 in form of Ashwin, Noor, Jadeja & more?
RCB’s revamped squad
After parting ways with du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, and Mohammed Siraj, RCB has rebuilt their team. They now have a new bowling attack and a refreshed middle order.
RCB squad for IPL 2025: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Krunal Pandya, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Lungi Ngidi, Swapnil Singh, Manoj Bhandage, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Shardul Thakur joins LSG squad, set to travel for IPL 2025 match in Vizag; Reports
Top Stories
