For years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) carried the weight of expectation without ever lifting the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. But that changed in the 2025 edition of the tournament.
RCB finally broke their title drought under Rajat Patidar's leadership by defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final on Tuesday. Their campaign was not built on dominance alone, it was defined by belief and resilience of a group that played for each other.
Also, what stood out in RCB’s run was the calm and clarity shown by their skipper Rajat Patidar, who was given the captaincy hat ahead of the season. As RCB lifted the title, Patidar was showered with praises from everywhere with Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar becoming the latest to join in on the bandwagon.
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Sunil Gavaskar Hails Rajat Patidar's Leadership
Gavaskar was especially impressed by how Patidar managed a squad filled with big names.
Speaking on Star Sports, Gavaskar pointed out that captaining a side with established stars can be intimidating but Patidar handled the situation well.
"His captaincy has been extremely impressive. At times, you have slight hesitation in your mind when you have so many superstar players in your team, as to whether you will be able to manage them. However, the way he has developed this team and gotten the support from the superstars, you come to know that he has leadership qualities," Gavaskar said as quoted on Star Sports.
Rather than imposing his authority, Patidar consistently consulted senior players in crunch situations, which Gavaskar believes shows that the 32-year-old has no ego.
"He didn't have any ego. He was going to the senior players and discussing with them what needed to be done. It was evident from the way he was asking that he didn't have any ego. A captain should never have any ego. He has to be doing what is good for the team, and he did exactly that," he added.
Rajat Patidar Becomes RCB’s First Title-Winning Captain
Patidar led RCB to the IPL title in his first season as the captain. He is the only RCB skipper to lift the trophy. Anil Kumble, Daniel Vettori and Virat Kohli took RCB to one final each under their captaincy but could not cross the last hurdle.
Patidar was not the loudest presence on the field, but his ability to stay calm under pressure and get the best out of his team did not go unrewarded.
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