Rajat Patidar and Virat Kohli (Image credit: RCB)
NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar has revealed how Virat Kohli ’s support helped him take on the captaincy of the IPL franchise.
Patidar said Kohli, whom he has admired for years, backed him strongly when he was given the responsibility of leading RCB. Having the support of his idol gave him confidence to handle the pressure of the role, according to Patidar.
The team then defended the title in 2026. Because of the huge fan base and the expectations around the team, patidar said leading RCB is not an easy job.
Later, I came to know he backed me a lot, including when it came to captaincy,” Patidar told Sports Launchpad. He always backed me,” Patidar said. Patidar spoke about Kohli’s influence and the special feeling of getting support from a player he had looked up to for a long time. “If your idol backs you, then you don’t need anything more. You don’t need anyone else’s support. I used to notice everything about him when he batted. From what he did on the ground to what his routine was off the field. “It is not easy to hand someone the RCB captaincy, considering the fans and the expectations. He must have seen something in me. I don’t know what, but I have received a lot of support from him in the team, as a player and as a captain. Patidar became only the third captain to win consecutive IPL titles, joining MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.