By Kavita Mistry 
New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar reflected on the surreal moment when Virat Kohli handed him the franchise’s captaincy ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and said he didn’t know how to react to the situation then Kohli calmed him down, saying “you deserve it, you earned it”.
Speaking on the RCB Podcast, the 31-year-old Patidar reflected on his journey from being rejected at the 2022 IPL mega auction despite prior assurance from the RCB management, to becoming the leader of a franchise still chasing its elusive maiden IPL title.
Back in 2022, Patidar was quietly confident that he’d be picked at the mega auction. “I had got a message (ahead of the mega auction for IPL 2022) that you be ready… that we will pick you. I had a little hope that I will get another chance (to play for RCB). But I wasn’t picked in the mega auction. I was a little sad,” said Patidar on an RCB Podcast.
“I (had) started playing in my local matches in Indore (after not getting picked in the auction). Then, I got a call that ‘we are picking you as a replacement for Luvnith Sisodia’, who was injured. To tell you frankly, I didn’t want to come as a replacement because I knew that I wouldn’t get a chance to play there, and I always feel that I don’t want to sit there (in the dugout). I wasn’t angry. It was like, if they didn’t pick me (during the auction), then I won’t get it (get to play). I was angry for a while, but then I was normal,” said Patidar.