Overview

• RCB director Mo Bobat said he and coach Andy Flower met Virat Kohli in Ahmedabad before IPL 2025, and Kohli backed Rajat Patidar’s appointment and pledged to help.
• Bobat said the franchise targeted an Indian captain, weighing a buy-back of Faf du Plessis or a return to Kohli before settling on Patidar.
• During the season, Kohli “empowered” Patidar by offering guidance while letting him make decisions, as a wider leadership group also contributed.
• Bobat recounted first raising captaincy with Patidar in mid‑2024 and encouraging him to pursue state-level leadership, which included leading Madhya Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
• Aakash Chopra criticized the idea of an IPL franchise nudging a player into domestic captaincy, fueling public debate, with no formal action reported.