Royal Challengers Bengaluru are expected to announce their new IPL captain on Thursday, February 12. Faf du Plessis, who led the team for the last three years has been released and since, Virat Kohli’s name has made the rounds among one of the possible captains for the next edition of the competition. Along with him, Rajat Patidar’s name has also been discussed by the RCB team management.
According to reports, the franchise has held talks with Kohli about a possible return to the helm of things but there’s no clarity on whether he has accepted the role. He has led the team regularly since 2013, before resigning from the post in 2021. On the other hand, Patidar has led Madhya Pradesh in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy and RCB understands his potential as one of the leaders in the dressing room.
In the meantime, Krunal Pandya’s name has also been discussed as one of the potential candidates for the next season. As per The Times of India, the franchise rates Pandya’s captaincy skill really high, especially as he has done a commendable job for Baroda in domestic cricket. RCB spent INR 5.75 crore to buy him in the IPL 2025 mega-auction and he can be one of the surprised picks as captain for the next edition.
The franchise has invited media for a special announcement on February 12, where key officials, including Director of Cricket Mo Bobat and head coach Andy Flower, will be in attendance.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Final Squad for IPL 2025:
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Lungi Ngidi, Swastik Chikkara, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.