Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Director of Cricket Mo Bobat announced that no decision has been made regarding the captaincy for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. This statement comes amidst speculation that star Indian batter Virat Kohli would return as captain after stepping down from the role in the 2021 season. Kohli’s tenure as skipper, which began in 2013, saw a rollercoaster of results, including a runners-up finish in 2016 when RCB lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight runs.
On Thursday, RCB confirmed the retention of Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. In a video following the retention announcement, Bobat clarified that Kohli has not been finalized as captain. “I’m sorry to disappoint everyone listening, but we have not made any decision regarding captaincy yet. We are open to options. The only clear decision we made was not to retain Faf du Plessis, who did a great job last year and the year before. We will keep an open mind heading into the auction,” Bobat stated.
Under Faf’s leadership from 2022, RCB reached the playoffs in two out of three seasons, with this year’s journey particularly noteworthy as the team bounced back after winning only one match in the first half of the season, ultimately securing a spot in the playoffs with six consecutive victories.
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Bobat also shared that the decision not to retain pacer Mohammed Siraj was the “toughest decision” for the franchise. Siraj, who has been with RCB since 2018 and took 83 wickets in 87 matches, had a commendable season last year, claiming 15 wickets in 14 matches. “Not retaining Siraj was our toughest decision. We value his contributions as a strong performer for both RCB and India. However, we wanted to enter the auction with as many options as possible to build a balanced bowling attack capable of competing effectively in the IPL and other formats,” he explained.
Bobat mentioned the team’s desire to retain Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, who is currently recovering from back surgery and may miss the IPL next year. Green had a strong season with RCB after being traded from Mumbai Indians, scoring 255 runs in 13 matches at an average of 31.88 and a strike rate over 143, along with taking 10 wickets.
He emphasized the importance of strengthening their Indian core, which is why they chose to retain high-quality players like Patidar and Dayal. “Prioritizing a strong Indian core during the auction phase is crucial, and our retention reflects that decision. Retaining our players was a straightforward choice, especially given their performance last year,” Bobat added.
Patidar had an impressive season in IPL 2024, scoring 395 runs in 15 matches with a strike rate of 177.13, including five half-centuries. Since his debut in 2021, he has played 27 matches, accumulating 799 runs at a strike rate of 158.85. His attacking style against spin garnered much acclaim. Uncapped player Yash Dayal led RCB’s bowling attack in IPL 2024, taking 15 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 9.15.
In IPL 2024, RCB narrowly secured a place in the top four, winning seven of their 14 matches and finishing fourth with 14 points. However, their journey ended in the playoffs with a four-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals.