RCB have named Rajat Patidar as captain for the IPL 2025 season. (BCCI)
RCB IPL 2025 Full Schedule, Fixtures, Match List, Dates, Venue: Royal Challengers Bengaluru will start the 18th season of the Indian Premier League under a new captain with Rajat Patidar taking over the reins of the team from Faf du Plessis, who will play for Delhi Capitals this season. Patidar is RCB’s eighth captain historically. He has played three seasons for the Bengaluru-based franchise since joining them in 2021. The 31-year-old Indore-born batter came back into RCB mid-way through the 2022 season as a replacement player for Luvnith Sisodia. He had played just four games in 2021 but not retained after that year.
RCB caused some eyebrows to be raised before the IPL auction recently by retaining just three players, including Patidar, Yash Dayal and long-time team talisman Virat Kohli. Kohli backed Patidar as the team leader on Monday, telling the RCB faithful at the RCB Unbox event: “This guy (Patidar) is going to lead you for a long time. He is going to do a great job. He has got everything that is required (to succeed).”
RCB’s first test of IPL 2025 will come against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on March 22 in what will be the season-opener for the season. RCB’s first home game will be on April 2 against the Gujarat Titans.
As per the IPL 2025 schedule, RCB will play four of their last six matches at home. The IPL starts just 12 days after the Champions Trophy final on March 9.